Department for Transport

Motorways: Construction

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which motorway projects were under construction where the hard shoulder was being converted to a running lane as of 1 September 2022; what the completion date is for those projects; and if he will make a statement.

Katherine Fletcher: As of the 1 September 2022, there were 4 schemes all lane running upgrade schemes under construction. These were the: M1 Junction 13-16 (noting parts of this scheme had already finished construction by 1 September 2022), M4 Junctions 3-12 (noting parts of this scheme had already finished construction by 1 September 2022), M6 Junctions 21a-26 and M56 Junctions 6-8.It is expected these sections will have completed construction and have stopped vehicle detection in place no later than:M1 Junction 13-16: Spring 2023M4 Junctions 3-12: Winter 2022M6 Junctions 21a-26: Spring 2023M56 Junctions 6-8: Spring 2023

Low Emission Zones: Greater London

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will publish a consultation on the introduction of a cleaner vehicle subsidy scheme for people who live outside the London Ultra Low Emission Zone but are required to travel into it for work.

Lucy Frazer: Transport in London is devolved, and it is the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) who are responsible for implementing measures and developing any associated vehicle subsidy scheme to improve air quality in the capital and reduce harmful emissions.The Ultra-Low Emission Zone has been shown to be an effective way of delivering immediate air quality improvements in the capital. On 4 March 2022, the Mayor announced plans to expand the ULEZ London-wide in 2023 to make London a healthier and less congested city. Following consultation the Mayor will consider the views of a wide range of stakeholders before making any decision on road charging.While the Department for Transport (DfT) works closely with TfL on a range of issues, the operation of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is entirely a matter for them.  Questions or concerns about any of the measures that have been taken to improve London’s air quality should be directed to TfL.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to expand the network of charging points for electric vehicles at motorway service stations.

Lucy Frazer: The biggest barrier to expanding the network of electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints at Motorway Service Stations (MSAs) is the urgent need to improve local power connections to MSAs. Last year, the Government announced the £950 million Rapid Charging Fund (RCF) to help motorway and major A road service area operators prepare the network for an increase in EV uptake by improving the power connection capacity to MSAs in England. The timing and process for the delivery of this funding is currently being planned and will be confirmed in due course. In parallel, we will continue to work with industry to ensure they are able to keep the availability of EV chargepoints at MSAs to accommodate future EV uptake.Charge anxiety has been identified as a main concern from prospective electric vehicle drivers. A visible and functional long-distance charging network is vital for mass EV adoption. Over 99% of Motorway Service Areas (MSAs) in England have charging available, with 365 open access, rapid chargers across the MSA network.By the end of 2023, we aim to have at least six ultra-rapid, open access chargepoints at every MSA in England, with some larger sites having 10 to 12. Delivery of this goal is being led by the private sector, with support from DfT, Ofgem and National Highways.

Parking: Blue Badge Scheme

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of local authorities restricting blue badge holders from parking in city centres on those drivers.

Kevin Foster: Responsibility for traffic management on local roads and the provision or restriction of on-street parking rests with the relevant local authority as it is best placed to consider how to balance the needs of residents, emergency services, local businesses and those who work in and visit the area. Local authorities are also responsible for ensuring their roads are managed in a way that meets the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010.Local authorities are free to make decisions about what is needed on their roads, provided they take account of the relevant legislation, without reference to the Department. =

Public Transport

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce a funding pilot aimed at increasing the number of people who shift from using cars to public transport.

Lucy Frazer: As set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, we want public transport & walking and cycling to be the natural first choice for our daily journeys. This shift has the potential to save significant amounts of carbon, improve air quality, and reduce noise and congestion – improving health and wellbeing for all.We are undertaking pilot projects which will explore new ways for how we can use our cars differently and less often. For example, we have provided £92m to fund local authorities in Solent Transport, Nottingham and Derby, West Midlands, and the West of England to become Future Transport Zones and pilot a range of innovative mode shift efforts, such as mobility as a service apps, or paying ‘mobility credits’ to people in return for giving up their cars.

Bicycles and Electric Scooters

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals on (a) e-scooters, (b) the users of e-scooters and (c) powers for local transport authorities to shape and manage rental operations for (i) pedal cycles, (ii) e-cycles and (iii) e-scooters.

Lucy Frazer: No decisions have been made on the details of the regulations for e-scooters or rental cycle and e-scooter schemes. We will consult before any new arrangements come into force.

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the number of HGV drivers in the UK; and what steps she is taking to address any shortages of those drivers.

Lucy Frazer: The Office for National Statistics Annual Population Survey estimates that the number of HGV drivers in the twelve-month period ending March 2022 was 262,700, this is up from 253,200 in the twelve-month period ending December 2021. ONS have identified and are investigating an issue in the classification of some occupations in its statistics. While investigations are still ongoing, it is not anticipated that figures of HGV/LGV drivers will be significantly impacted.In response the Government has taken decisive action to address the HGV driver shortage putting in place 33 short, medium and long-term interventions to date to help alleviate the existing HGV driver shortages. These interventions include investing up to £34 million to create skills bootcamps to train up to 11,000 more people to become HGV drivers. We are also supporting HGV driver training through apprenticeships, including the Large Goods Vehicle Driver and Urban Driver apprenticeships. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Jobcentre Plus are also supporting returning to driving and helping jobseekers become HGV drivers where appropriate.The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has expanded HGV driver testing capacity and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has improved licencing processes in order to help get these new drivers on the road.The Government continues to have positive engagement with the sector who report that the 33 measures are working.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Government plans to respond to the consultation on managed pavement parking, which closed in November 2020.

Katherine Fletcher: The Department will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish his conclusions from the public consultation on managing pavement parking.

Katherine Fletcher: The Department will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible.

Motorcycles: Noise

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with (a) manufacturers and (b) other stakeholders to ensure that all motorcycles and mopeds do not exceed limits for vehicle volume.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle motorists who add aftermarket mufflers to their exhaust systems in order to dramatically increase the noise produced by their vehicles.

Katherine Fletcher: The Government takes the impact of traffic noise on communities seriously . Manufacturers of motor vehicles, including motorcycles and mopeds, are required to demonstrate compliance with strict noise limits before placing products on the market.The police have powers to act if they suspect an exhaust has been modified to increase noise above these limits The Department is engaging with the police on the role of 'noise camera' technology in more targeted, efficient and effective enforcement

A5

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of upgrading the A5 as part of the Union Connectivity Review to help improve links between Shrewsbury, Shropshire and Wales.

Katherine Fletcher: The Government thanks Sir Peter Hendy for his independent Union Connectivity Review. We are considering his recommendations carefully and will publish our response as soon as possible.

Battersea Park Station: Access

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the planned upgrades to deliver accessible access at Battersea Park Station will start which have been differed from control period 5 of Access for All funding.

Kevin Foster: The project at Battersea Park station to provide a new step-free accessible route is currently in the detailed design phase. Further updates will be provided in due course

Railways: Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with Network Rail on the electrification of the Shrewsbury, Black Country and Birmingham route.

Kevin Foster: The Department for Transport has not had any specific discussions with Network Rail about electrification of the Shrewsbury, Black Country and Birmingham route.In the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, the government committed to deliver a net zero rail network by 2050. To achieve this we will electrify additional lines, alongside deploying battery and hydrogen trains on lines where it makes economic and operational sense to do so.

Railway Track: Temperature

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that train tracks can function as normal during heatwaves.

Kevin Foster: Network Rail has well-established operational measures it implements to protect infrastructure and manage services safely during extreme weather events, such as line speed restrictions, diversions and painting parts of the railway tracks white. Looking ahead, we want industry to proactively prepare wherever possible, but also to explore new technology which could help improve resilience. Network Rail launched a resilience task force in July to review the UK rail networks capacity to deal with extreme heat, which will be led by independent experts. It will make recommendations on how the railway can develop its approach to resilience during hot weather.

Railways: Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of an hourly direct train between London and Shrewsbury on house prices in (a) Shrewsbury and (b) Shropshire.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of an improved rail service on (a) social mobility and (b) levelling up in (i) Shrewsbury and (ii) Shropshire.

Kevin Foster: The Government recognises the potential value of enhanced rail connectivity for the people and economy of Shrewsbury and Shropshire.We have received a Strategic Outline Business Case for improvements to the railway between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury and will continue to work with the scheme’s promoters to consider whether schemes such as this or wider aspirations for an hourly direct Shrewsbury to London train service, would represent good value for public money, are affordable, and aligned to the Government’s strategic priorities.

Department for Transport: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for her Departmental staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by her Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Kevin Foster: The information requested could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Introduction to Sector Deals, updated in June 2019, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a sector deal for the medical cannabis industry.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: BEIS have no plans to assess the merits of introducing a sector deal for the medical cannabis industry. We will continue to support the Life Science sector through delivery of the Life Science Vision.

Small Businesses: Innovation

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to promote innovation by SMEs (a) across the country, (b) in Hounslow and (c) in Feltham and Heston constituency.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government is acting decisively to enable all businesses to innovate. It has launched new Prosperity Partnerships, invested a further £25m in the Connecting Capability Fund, and in financial year 2021-22 supported more than 850 SME manufacturing firms with almost 150 digital transformation projects through Made Smarter Adoption. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is delivered by local government across the UK, has the aim of building pride in place and increasing life chances. The Greater London Authority has been given £145m across the three years of the Fund.Local authorities will decide what they wish to deliver, in line with local priorities and need. We have published a full list on GOV.UK.

Vesa Equity Investment

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has held meetings with (a) Daniel Kretinsky and (b) representatives of VESA Equity Investment SARL in the last 12 months.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings. The latest published data covers January to March 2022, further data will be published in due course. In line with Cabinet Office Guidance organisations are listed instead of individuals. Details of meetings held by officials are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Fossil Fuels: Prices

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 20 September 2022 to Question 45708 on Commodity Markets: Fossil Fuels, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of financial speculation on the underlying price of crude oil and natural gas in global markets.

Graham Stuart: The responsibility for the integrity of trading in oil and gas derivatives falls under the remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) which regulates the financial services industry in the UK, including commodity trading venues.

Trade Union Officials

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with trade union officials since taking up the post on 6 September 2022.

Dean Russell: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s relationship with the trade unions is essential to developing and delivering our policies. Ministers and officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy engage regularly with the trade unions on a variety of issues.

Conditions of Employment

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the reforms to the Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment regulations on (a) pay and (b) working conditions.

Dean Russell: Changes were last made to the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations in 2014. The Regulations were improved to make sure that they continued to provide appropriate levels of protection for employees, while making the process of transferring employees from one organisation to another as smooth as possible for the businesses involved.

Heating: Rural Areas

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government will provide support for rural coal users who are unable to obtain gas or oil and rely on coal to heat their homes.

Graham Stuart: Households not on standard gas or electricity contracts, such as those in rural areas, will receive equivalent support to that provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, and the Energy Price Guarantee. The Government is working at pace to determine the most practical and tested routes to deliver this support. As part of this, for households who do not use gas for domestic heating, the Government has committed to provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of other fuels such as coal.

Conditions of Employment

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of revoking (a) the Working Time Regulations and (b) other EU regulations on worker rights.

Dean Russell: We are proud of the UK’s record on employment standards, having raised domestic standards over recent years to make them some of the highest in the world. In leaving the EU we regained the ability to regulate autonomously, and the Government is therefore conducting a comprehensive review of all retained EU law to ensure that our regulations, including worker rights, are tailored to the needs of the UK economy and help create the conditions for growth and investment. The UK has one of the best workers’ rights records in the world. In recent years, the Government has brought forward a raft of legislation on employment rights issues. In April this year, we made sure 2.5 million people across the UK received a pay raise by raising the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage. We have extended the ban on using exclusivity clauses to contracts where a worker’s guaranteed weekly income is below the Lower Earnings Limit, which is currently £123 a week. Numerous Private Members’ Bills have been introduced on the matter of employment rights, and we are working closely with these members on their proposals. The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill and The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill have both passed their Second Reading with Government support and will continue to progress through parliament before receiving royal assent and becoming law in England, Scotland and Wales.

Small Businesses: Energy

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing more funding to help SMEs improve their energy efficiency.

Graham Stuart: The Government keeps energy efficiency support for businesses, including SMEs, under review. Existing initiatives include an exemption on business rates for green technology, providing small businesses grants under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and offering industry £289m for energy efficiency and low carbon technologies.

Fuel Oil: Prices

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of rising energy prices on off-grid communities that are reliant on oil.

Graham Stuart: Households not on standard gas or electricity contracts, such as those in rural areas, will receive equivalent support to that provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, and the Energy Price Guarantee. The Government is working at pace to determine the most practical and tested routes to deliver this support. As part of this, for households who do not use gas for domestic heating, the Government has committed to provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of other fuels such as heating oil.

Fuel Oil: Prices

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support the Government plans to provide to people who rely on domestic heating oil as their main heating source for their homes.

Graham Stuart: Households not on standard gas or electricity contracts, such as those in rural areas, will receive equivalent support to that provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, and the Energy Price Guarantee. The Government is working at pace to determine the most practical and tested routes to deliver this support. As part of this, for households who do not use gas for domestic heating, the Government has committed to provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of other fuels such as heating oil.

Offshore Industry: North Sea

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the expansion of extraction activity in the North Sea on wholesale domestic gas price.

Graham Stuart: As an internationally traded commodity, natural gas prices are primarily driven by the underlying price in the global market. Many of the factors affecting the spikes seen recently in wholesale gas prices are attributable to international activity extending beyond the UK's domestic production. To date, the Department has not undertaken analysis of the impact of increased domestic gas production on domestic wholesale price specifically.

Small Businesses: Costs

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department is offering to (a) high energy usage small business and (b) small convenience stores in the context of the rising cost of energy.

Graham Stuart: The recently announced Energy Bill Relief Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-outlines-plans-to-help-cut-energy-bills-for-businesses) ensures that all businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. A review of the scheme, to be published in three months, will identify the most vulnerable non-domestic customers and how the government will continue assisting them with energy costs after the initial six months. The Government is also providing support via freezing alcohol duty rates on beer, cider, wine and spirits, and increasing the employment allowance. Government is also providing a 50% business rates relief for businesses across the UK and reducing employer national insurance. This is in addition to the billions in grants and loans offered throughout the pandemic.

Small Businesses: Energy

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department plans to take to support small and medium sized businesses with rising energy costs.

Graham Stuart: The recently announced Energy Bill Relief Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-outlines-plans-to-help-cut-energy-bills-for-businesses) ensures that all businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. A review of the scheme, to be published in three months, will identify the most vulnerable non-domestic customers and how the government will continue assisting them with energy costs after the initial six months. Government is also providing a 50% business rates relief for businesses across the UK and reducing employer national insurance. This is in addition to the billions in grants and loans offered throughout the pandemic.

Red Diesel: Electricity Generation

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing businesses affected by the high cost of energy to use red diesel as a means of generating power.

Graham Stuart: HM Treasury lead on red diesel policy. The Government recognises the impact rising energy prices will have on businesses of all sizes and is in regular contact with business groups and suppliers to understand the challenges faced and explore ways to protect consumers and businesses. The recently announced Energy Bill Relief Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-outlines-plans-to-help-cut-energy-bills-for-businesses) ensures that all businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. A review of the scheme, to be published in three months, will identify the most vulnerable non-domestic customers and how the government will continue assisting them with energy costs after the initial six months.

Fuel Poverty

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of fuel poverty in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England; what estimate he has made of the impact of rising energy costs on the levels of fuel poverty in those areas; and what (i) financial and (ii) other steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of fuel poverty.

Graham Stuart: The latest official statistics (published February 2022) show the number of households in fuel poverty in these areas are (a) Coventry North East Constituency 10,337 (21.7%), (b) Coventry local authority 28,208 (20.3%), (c) West Midlands administrative area 441,693 (17.8%), (d) England 3,158,206 (1.2%). No assessment of recent trends has been made. In September, the Government announced the Energy Price Guarantee which will save a typical household at least £1,000 a year. This Guarantee is in addition to the £37 billion Cost of Living Support Package, targeted particularly on those with the greatest need.

Public Houses: Energy

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of rising energy prices on (a) pubs and (b) breweries.

Graham Stuart: BEIS is monitoring the impact of energy prices on businesses and recognises the scale will vary depending on business type and type of contract or tariff. The recently announced Energy Bill Relief Scheme ( https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-outlines-plans-to-help-cut-energy-bills-for-businesses) ensures that all businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. A review of the scheme, to be published in three months, will identify the most vulnerable non-domestic customers and how the government will continue assisting them with energy costs after the initial six months. The Government is also providing support via with business rates relief, freezing alcohol duty rates on beer, cider, wine and spirits, and increasing the employment allowance.

Drax Power Station: Timber

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will take steps to stop the burning of wood imported from the US at the Drax power station.

Graham Stuart: The UK Government supports the use of sustainable biomass and generators only receive subsidies for biomass that complies with strict sustainability criteria. Generators must demonstrate to the regulator that they meet the criteria, and their evidence is independently audited.

Energy Bill Relief Scheme

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the support scheme for energy bills will apply to existing fixed-term energy contracts agreed by public sector organisations.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will be available to all business, voluntary sector and public sector organisations who are on existing fixed price contracts, agreed on or after 1 April 2022.

Fracking

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has written to the British Geological Survey to discuss the three month review of the evidence relating to fracking across the UK.

Graham Stuart: The Government is grateful to the British Geological Survey for their recent review of the science related to seismic events induced by hydraulic fracturing for shale gas exploration. The report ‘Recent scientific advances in the understanding of induced seismicity from hydraulic fracturing of shales’ has been received and carefully considered, and has also been published at:www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-geological-science-of-shale-gas-fracturing. The Government will continue to work with the British Geological Survey on this and other matters.

Renewable Energy: Grants

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will introduce a renewable energy grant to support the installation of domestic wind and solar technology.

Graham Stuart: The Smart Export Guarantee enables small scale generators to receive payment for excess electricity that is generated and exported to the grid. In the British Energy Security Strategy the Government committed to simplify planning processes and facilitate low-cost finance to drive rooftop solar deployment. The Strategy also set out that the Government is looking at ensuring that local supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure can receive benefits in return, for example through lower energy bills.

Fracking

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Government's decision to lift the ban on fracking on the UK's ability to meet its net zero targets.

Graham Stuart: Net Zero is a consideration in all relevant government decisions. The Government remains committed to net zero by 2050, but to get there we are going to need oil and gas. Exploring domestic shale gas as a way of maximising domestic production could not only strengthen UK energy security but also reduce the amount of emissions-intensive gas imported from abroad.

Fracking: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of lifting the ban on fracking in England on the Government's target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Graham Stuart: Net Zero is a consideration in all relevant government decisions. The Government remains committed to net zero by 2050, but to get there we are going to need oil and gas. Exploring domestic shale gas as a way of maximising domestic production could not only strengthen UK energy security but also reduce the amount of emissions-intensive gas imported from abroad.

Fracking

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to make assessments of levels of local consent for fracking.

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department will take steps to consult hon. Members when making assessments of local levels of support for new fracking sites.

Graham Stuart: The Government expects industry to work closely with communities in order to gather the local support needed, as well as to determine what kind of community benefits will be put in place.

Fracking: Planning Permission

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Prime Minister's statement in the House of Commons on 8 September 2022, how local support for developers seeking planning permission for natural gas fracturation will be measured.

Graham Stuart: The Government expects industry to work closely with communities in order to gather the local support needed, as well as to determine what kind of community benefits will be put in place.

Fracking

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what data was used to inform the policy announced by the Prime Minister on 8 September 2022, to end the Government's moratorium on fracking.

Graham Stuart: As the British Geological Survey’s report makes clear, predicting seismic events induced by hydraulic fracturing remains a scientific challenge for the geoscience community. It also makes clear that to improve our understanding we need more exploratory sites to gather the necessary data.

Carbon Emissions

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has taken recent steps to implement the recommendations of the report by the Climate Assembly UK entitled The path to net zero, published on 10 September 2020.

Graham Stuart: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister welcomed the Climate Assembly UK report. The recommendations it set out are an important element of the evidence base and are considered alongside other evidence to inform policy decisions relating to Net Zero. This evidence base has been used in several ways, including to inform development of several government strategies. Many of the Climate Assembly UK’s recommendations are in line with government policy and are already being delivered.

Renewable Energy

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the maximum output of renewable energy that (a) current and (b) planned future infrastructure is capable of achieving; and when this maximum output will be achieved.

Graham Stuart: Current and historical plant capacities are published in Energy Trends Table 6.1.[1] These represent the maximum generation that might be produced by all renewable generators in any given quarter. For future years, indicative, Net Zero-consistent, power sector projections are published in Annex O of the Energy and Emission Projections.[2] These show a current renewable capacity of 43 GW, with renewable capacity potentially increasing year-on-year (to 2050) to between 157 and 242 GW. No estimate is made of the exact maximum output that these generators will produce as load factors vary significantly with weather, geographical location, and time. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-trends-section-6-renewables[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-and-emissions-projections-net-zero-strategy-baseline-partial-interim-update-december-2021

Housing: Energy

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will provide grants to help households in social housing and domestic properties upgrade to achieve a band C Energy Performance Certificate.

Graham Stuart: The Government set out an aspiration in the Clean Growth Strategy for as many homes as possible to reach EPC Band C by 2035 where cost-effective, affordable and practical. Those in fuel poverty, on low incomes or in social housing are supported by the Local Authority Delivery Scheme, Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and the Energy company obligation. Over £3.9 billion of new funding over the next 3 year was announced alongside the Heat and Buildings Strategy through the SHDF, HUG and Boiler Upgrade Scheme. ECO has also been expanded to £1 billion over the next 4 years.

Coal: Mining

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2022 to Question 39801 on the Coal Authority, for what reason it is his policy to conclude that a low demand for new coal extraction projects does not require a revision of (a) the Coal Authority’s duties with respect to licensing coal extraction and (b) the statutory duty to promote an economically viable coal industry, as set out in the Coal Industry Act 1994; and if he will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: The Government is committed to phasing out coal from electricity generation by 2024. Demand for new coal licences has fallen away as a consequence. Parliamentary time is precious and the coal extraction industry is already in decline in the UK without further interventions. Although coal will soon no longer be part of our electricity system, there may continue to be domestic demand for coal in industries such as steel, cement and for heritage railways. The current licensing regime leaves room for projects to come forward that could potentially meet that demand.

Sizewell C Power Station

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the (a) service and (b) shareholding stakes procured in the NNB Holding Company for the development of Sizewell C power station from the £700 million announced by the Prime Minister on 1 September 2022.

Graham Stuart: The Sizewell C Project could play an important role in our ambitions for nuclear new build and delivery of energy security and, subject to the outcome of negotiations, the Government is prepared to invest up to £700m at this stage in its development. Negotiations over the Project are ongoing and are commercially sensitive.

Housing: Energy

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes were upgraded to energy performance certificate band C in each year since 2010.

Graham Stuart: Estimates of the number of dwellings by EPC band are made for England in the English Housing Survey headline report annex table 2.8. The table below collates the time series requested:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2020-to-2021-headline-report.It should be noted that it is difficult to make accurate year on year comparisons and there have been slight changes in the methodology used to derive EPC ratings over time. Overall, the number of dwellings in England is increasing and so the total increase in band A-C dwellings is higher than the number of D-Gs improved to band A-C due to new dwellings.

Business: Energy

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding his Department has made available for supporting businesses with energy costs from 1 April 2023.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bill Relief Scheme for non-domestic customers was announced on 21 September and details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers. The Government will publish a review of the scheme in 3 months, which will consider how to further support customers who are most vulnerable to energy price increases, beyond the initial six months of the scheme. Continuing support to those eligible would begin at the end of the initial 6-month support scheme, without a gap. Schemes already in place include support for Energy Intensive Industries and the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.

Business: Energy

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish further details on the operation of the six month energy price freeze for businesses.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bill Relief Scheme for non-domestic customers was announced on 21 September and details can be found at the link below:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers.The Government will provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic customers (including all UK businesses, those in the voluntary sector like charities, and public sector organisations such as schools and hospitals) whose current gas and electricity prices have been significantly inflated in light of global energy prices. This support will be equivalent to the Energy Price Guarantee put in place for households.

Fuel Oil: Northern Ireland

Colum Eastwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of price increases for home heating oil on consumers in Northern Ireland.

Graham Stuart: The matter is devolved to the administration in Northern Ireland.

Tidal Power: River Severn

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has plans to maximise the potential of tidal flows on the River Severn to generate electricity from (a) barrage or (b) tidal lagoons.

Graham Stuart: The Government remains open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around our coastlines, including barrage schemes and other alternatives. Any such proposal would need to demonstrate strong evidence of value for money in the context of other low-carbon technologies, as well as details of its associated energy system benefits and environmental impact mitigation strategies before the Government could take a view on its potential case for support.

Energy: Storage

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has plans to increase national energy storage potential by using grid-scale batteries.

Graham Stuart: The Government is facilitating the deployment of electricity storage at all scales, including grid-scale batteries, through the joint BEIS and Ofgem Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan published in 2021.

Energy: Meters

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact on consumer energy bills of (a) faults and (b) loss of smart function in smart meters.

Graham Stuart: Over half of energy meters in Great Britain are now smart meters. The vast majority are operating as intended, providing consumers with automatic meter readings and near-real time usage information via the In-Home Display. Estimates, based on the current typical household bill, indicate the rollout is delivering over £0.5 billion in annual bill savings. Allowances for operational factors such as maintenance or faults are already factored into industry’s cost bases. Energy suppliers have commercial incentives to ensure these costs are minimised, including having active programmes to address faults where they do exist.

Energy: Meters

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Ofgem on energy companies’ policies on responding to issues with customers’ smart meters.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy works closely with Ofgem to monitor suppliers' performance. Energy suppliers are required by licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to ensure their customers' smart meters are fully functional. Ofgem is responsible for regulating energy suppliers against these obligations and against the Standards of Conduct, which set out expectations regarding behaviour and customer service.

District Heating

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the operation of the discretionary support fund for heating network customers, what the meaning is of discretionary in this instance; and if he will place a copy of the qualifying criteria in the Library.

Graham Stuart: The Government will release further information on the fund which will support the reduction of energy bills for consumers on communal networks through public announcements as quickly as possible. This announcement will include details regarding the qualifying criteria.

District Heating

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the operation of the discretionary support fund for heating network customers, if he will take steps to ensure that any saving made by property management companies purchasing gas and electricity commercially on their behalf will be passed on to households.

Graham Stuart: In respect of their heating costs, those on communal heating networks will primarily benefit through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, details of which were announced on 21 September. They will also receive support in respect of their electricity costs through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

District Heating

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the operation of the discretionary support fund for heating network customers, will applications to the fund be received by (a) households applying individually or (b) the property management companies who have purchased gas and electricity commercially on their behalf.

Graham Stuart: In respect of their heating costs, those on communal heating networks will primarily benefit through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, details of which were announced on 21 September. They will also receive support in respect of their electricity costs through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme. Individuals and property management companies will not need to apply for any of this support. For those heat network customers that will not receive the Energy Bills Support Scheme automatically through their electricity bills, equivalent support will be provided, and more details will be published shortly.

Tidal Power

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government has made an assessment of potential sites for new tidal power sites.

Graham Stuart: The identification and leasing of marine energy sites is a matter for the Crown Estate and the Crown Estate Scotland.

Tidal Power: Research

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to invest in research on the (a) improvement and (b) optimisation of tidal power.

Graham Stuart: In July this year over 40MW of new tidal stream capacity was procured via the government’s flagship Contracts for Difference scheme. This contract award will enable tidal stream developers to gain operational experience and work on improving and optimising their technologies. Tidal stream continues to be eligible for a suite of competitively allocated Net Zero innovation grant funding opportunities, with the Government having spent over £80m on marine energy innovation since 2010.

Fuels: Excise Duties

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of the five pence per litre reduction in fuel duty in March 2022 on retailers of (a) petrol and (b) diesel.

Graham Stuart: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in June carried out an urgent review of the fuel market. The initial findings, published in July, found that retailers of petrol and diesel likely incurred an immediate cost as they cut prices to users but continued to sell fuel previously purchased at a higher duty rate.

Energy Bill Relief Scheme

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish further details on how the energy bills support announced on 8 September 2022 will apply to (a) schools and (b) other public sector organisations.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bill Relief Scheme for non-domestic customers was announced on 21 September and details can be found at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers. The scheme will provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic customers, including businesses, the voluntary sector and the public sector, including schools. This support will be equivalent to the Energy Price Guarantee put in place for households.

Small Businesses: Energy

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of rising energy prices on SMEs.

Graham Stuart: The Government recognises the impact rising energy prices will have on businesses of all sizes and is in regular contact with business groups and suppliers to understand the challenges they face and explore ways to protect consumers and businesses. The recently announced Energy Bill Relief Scheme ( https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-outlines-plans-to-help-cut-energy-bills-for-businesses) ensures that all businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. A review of the scheme, to be published in three months, will identify the most vulnerable non-domestic customers and how the government will continue assisting them with energy costs after the initial six months.

Horizon Europe

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he will make it his policy for the UK to re-join Horizon Europe.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The EU is in breach of the agreement reached under the TCA for the UK to participate in EU programmes and these unjustified delays are causing uncertainty for our research and business communities. Our preference remains association to the EU programmes as agreed under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), including Horizon Europe, and we continue to do everything we can to secure this.

Horizon Europe

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of not securing membership to Horizon Europe on the UK's science sector.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: At the UK-EU Specialised Committee meeting on 22 September, which marked the end of the consultations period, the UK once again requested that the EU fulfil its obligation to finalise the UK’s association to EU Programmes. It is regrettable that the EU continues to decline this request. The UK government is now considering next steps. Our priority is to support the UK’s world leading R&D sector and we have already outlined potential options for doing so.Our preference remains association to the EU programmes as agreed under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), including Horizon Europe, and we continue to do everything we can to secure this. The EU is in breach of the agreement reached under the TCA for the UK to participate in EU programmes and these unjustified delays are causing uncertainty for our research and business communities. That is why we entered into formal consultations with the EU, which are a mechanism set out in the TCA to resolve issues between the UK and the EU.The 2021 Spending Review confirmed that if we are unable to associate, the funding allocated to Horizon association will go to UK government R&D programmes, including international partnerships.

Driverless Vehicles: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of private investment that will be leveraged in by the Government's £100 million of new Research and Development funding for the commercial deployment of connected and self-driving technologies.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government has allocated £100 million to the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles to create a European-leading commercial market for connected and automated mobility (CAM) in the UK by 2025, building on £400 million joint investment with industry and unlocking at least £790 million further private investment.

Foreign Investment in UK: Disclosure of Information

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many notifiable acquisition applications under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 have been made since 4 January 2022.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government published the National Security and Investment Act’s first Annual Report on 16 June 2022. This report covers the first 3 months of the system operating from 4 January 2022 to 31 March 2022. The report states that, in this period, the Investment Security Unit received a total of 196 mandatory notifications. The 2023 Annual Report will provide data on notifications received in the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.

Diseases: Research

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what level of research funding his Department has allocated to (a) dementia, (b) cancer, (c) stroke and (d) coronary heart disease research.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: BEIS received its largest ever R&D budget at Spending Review 2021 with £39.8 billion over the SR period, including an allocation of £25.1 billion to UK Research Innovation (UKRI) which provides significant funding to the aforementioned areas. Specific funding amounts are not allocated to disease areas in advance as funding is largely distributed via competitive, peer-reviewed application processes. However, the Government has committed via the Life Sciences Vision to launch healthcare missions, including in Dementia and Cancer. BEIS will be contributing funding to these Missions via UKRI, alongside the Department of Health and Social Care and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Measurement

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to publish a response to the consultation entitled Choice on units of measurement: markings and sales.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The consultation ‘Choice on units of measurement: markings and sales’ closed on 26 August. We are reviewing the responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.

Horizon Europe

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent progress the Government has made on the UK’s application to associate to Horizon Europe.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Our preference remains association to the EU programmes as agreed under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), including Horizon Europe, and we continue to do everything we can to secure this. The EU is in breach of the agreement reached under the TCA for the UK to participate in EU programmes and these unjustified delays are causing uncertainty for our research and business communities. That is why we entered into formal consultations with the EU, which are a mechanism set out in the TCA to resolve issues between the UK and the EU. At the UK-EU Specialised Committee meeting on 22 September, which marked the end of the consultations period, the UK once again requested that the EU fulfil its obligation to finalise the UK’s association to EU Programmes. It is regrettable that the EU continues to decline this request. The UK government is now considering next steps. Our priority is to support the UK’s world leading R&D sector and we have already outlined potential options for doing so.

Horizon Europe

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill on the prospects of the UK's future involvement in Horizon Europe.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: It is disappointing that the EU has politicised scientific cooperation by inappropriately linking the UK participation in EU Programmes and the Northern Ireland Protocol. Our preference remains association to the EU programmes as agreed under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), including Horizon Europe, and we continue to do everything we can to secure this. The EU is in breach of the agreement reached under the TCA for the UK to participate in EU programmes and these unjustified delays are causing uncertainty for our research and business communities. That is why we entered into formal consultations with the EU, which are a mechanism set out in the TCA to resolve issues between the UK and the EU. At the UK-EU Specialised Committee meeting on 22 September, which marked the end of the consultations period, the UK again request that the EU fulfil its obligation to finalise the UK’s association to EU Programmes. It is regrettable that the EU continues to decline this request. The UK government is now considering next steps. Our priority is to support the UK’s world leading R&D sector and we have already outlined potential options for doing so.

Research, Development and Innovation Organisational Landscape Review

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the independent review of the research, development and innovation landscape.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the (a) Scoping Group and (b) Sounding Board to the review of the research, development and innovation landscape will approve the recommendations of the Review.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department has no plans to make an assessment of the impact of the medical cannabis industry on the economy or employment levels. The Department annually publishes data on the impact on the economy and employment of the wider Life Sciences sector in the Bioscience and health technology sector statistics, and this includes analysis of the bio-pharmaceuticals sector of which the medical cannabis industry is an important part.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make an assessment of the impact of the medical cannabis industry on (a) the economy and (b) employment levels.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department has no plans to make an assessment of the impact of the medical cannabis industry on the economy or employment levels. The Department annually publishes data on the impact on the economy and employment of the wider Life Sciences sector in the Bioscience and health technology sector statistics, this includes analysis of the bio-pharmaceuticals sector of which the medical cannabis industry is an important part.

Small Businesses: Innovation

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government has taken to promote innovation by SMEs (a) across the country and (b) in the North East.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government is acting decisively to enable all businesses to innovate. It has launched new Prosperity Partnerships, invested a further £25m in the Connecting Capability Fund, and in financial year 2021-22 supported more than 850 SME manufacturing firms with almost 150 digital transformation projects through Made Smarter Adoption – including in the North East. The North East boasts innovative SMEs like cleantech business Nova Pangaea Technologies, which has secured Innovate UK grant funding, Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund equity investment, and Department for Transport funding. It is also home to Teesside Freeport, which will become a cluster of innovation in the region.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for his Departmental staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by his Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Mr Steve Baker: The Northern Ireland Office has on no occasion cited the provision of mandatory training as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of the Equality Act 2010.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Computers

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney General, with reference to data entitled Transparency GPC Transactions over £500 Nov 2021, published online by his Department on 8 August 2022, showing that 48 laptop computers were purchased using a GPC on 8 November 2021, how many of those laptops were replacements for existing laptops in use by his Department; and, of those existing laptops, how many had been in use for more than three years.

Michael Tomlinson: The laptops were purchased not by the Attorney General’s Office, but by the Government Legal Department (GLD). They were purchased for recently recruited staff. 5 of the laptops were allocated to staff as replacements for existing hardware that was faulty and beyond repair. None were replacements for working laptops already in use by staff.

Department of Health and Social Care

Evusheld: Procurement

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement on 12 August 2022 that Government will not be procuring any doses of Evusheld at this time, what assessment was made during the decision making process of the relevance of the data published on 29 July 2022 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases which showed that immunocompromised individuals administered with that drug were 92% less likely to be hospitalized or die than those who did not receive it.

Robert Jenrick: The Government has decided not to procure Evusheld at this present time for prevention through emergency routes at this time. This is based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group. These groups considered a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies, including the study published on 29 July 2022 and concluded there is currently insufficient evidence of benefit against Omicron variants to recommend deployment. The Chief Medical Officer for England is content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and that this should now be referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for further evaluation.

Evusheld

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department used to support its recent decision not to currently offer the drug Evusheld to people for whom covid-19 vaccines do not work; who (a) was consulted and (b) took that decision; by what process that decision was made; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: The Government has decided not to procure Evusheld at this present time for prevention through emergency routes at this time. This is a decision based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group. These groups considered a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies and concluded that there is currently insufficient evidence of benefit to recommend deployment. The Chief Medical Officer for England is content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and agrees that this should now be referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for further evaluation.The Department wrote to patient groups on 5 September 2022 with information on this decision and evidence considered and intends to publish further details of the clinical advice received shortly.

Evusheld: Procurement

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement on 12 August 2022 that Government will not be procuring any doses of Evusheld at this time, what evidence base was used to support this decision; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: The decision not to procure Evusheld at this present time for prevention through emergency routes is based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group. The decision is based on a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies. RAPID C-19 monitors activity in clinical trials for emerging evidence and where treatments are proven to be clinically effective, enables access for National Health Service patients. The Chief Medical Officer for England is content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and it should now be referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for further evaluation. The Department wrote to patient groups on 5 September 2022 with information on the decision and we intend to publish further details of the clinical advice received shortly.

Dental Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to provide orthodontic treatment for people over the age of 18 who were unable to receive treatment during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Will Quince: During the pandemic we provided over £1.7 billion in income protection to ensure that National Health Service dental and orthodontic capacity was retained and services were provided throughout. In Quarter 4 2021/22, we allocated a further £50 million for NHS dentistry and NHS England targeted the available care for those patients most in need. From April 2022, NHS England asked all orthodontic providers to return to full pre-COVID-19 activity.

General Practitioners: Staff

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that general practice surgeries have sufficient staff to remain open.

Will Quince: In June 2022, there were an additional 1,497 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors in general practice compared to June 2019. We are working with NHS England, Health Education England and the profession to increase the general practice workforce in England. This includes measures to increase recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.  The updated GP Contract Framework in 2020 announced new retention schemes with continued support for existing schemes. We have expanded the number of general practitioner (GP) training places. In 2021/22, 4,000 trainees accepted a place on GP training – an increase from 2,671 in 2014.  We are diversifying the workforce by recruiting an additional 26,000 primary care staff through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. This will ensure multi-disciplinary teams can provide a range of care options for patients and allow doctors in general practice to treat those with more complex needs. As of June 2022, there were a further 19,000 FTE direct patient care staff working in practices and Primary Care Networks, compared to March 2019.

Dental Services: Waiting Lists

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 27 January 2021 to Question 131189 on Dental Services: Waiting Lists, for what reason data on orthodontic waiting lists was not available.

Will Quince: Waiting lists for orthodontic treatments are managed directly by dental practices.

Pharmacy: Sustainable Development

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with industry groups on the sustainability of community pharmacies.

Will Quince: The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework five-year deal commits £2.592 billion in each financial year between 2019 and 2024 for community pharmacy. On 22 September 2022, following discussions between the Department, NHS England and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, which represents pharmacy contractors in England, we announced an agreement for the remaining years of the Framework.

Evusheld: Procurement

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement on 12 August 2022 that Government will not be procuring any doses of Evusheld at this time, if he will set out in detail the decision making process including (a) what discussions were held by those responsible for making that decision, (b) what evidence informed that decision and (c) the rationale for that decision, in the four weeks before that procurement decision was taken.

Robert Jenrick: The decision not to procure Evusheld at this present time for prevention through emergency routes is based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group. These groups considered a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies. RAPID C-19 monitors activity in clinical trials for emerging evidence and where treatments are proven to be clinically effective, enables access for National Health Service patients. The Chief Medical Officer for England is content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and it should now be referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for further evaluation. The Department intends to publish further details of the clinical advice received shortly.

Care Homes: General Practitioners

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to The Framework for Enhanced Health in Care Homes, published by the NHS in March 2020, how many and what proportion of Primary Care Networks are meeting the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service specification of delivering a weekly GP home round to care home patients in the latest period for which data is available.

Will Quince: The information requested is not held centrally. Since 2020 there has been a requirement for Primary Care Networks to establish and coordinate a multi-disciplinary team to deliver a weekly ‘home round’ of care home patients, where those identified as a clinical priority for assessment and care are reviewed.

Patient Safety Commissioner

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps patients can take to contact the Patient Safety Commissioner.

Will Quince: A website is currently being developed which will display the relevant contact details, including an email address for enquiries.

Prostate Cancer: Screening

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a national prostate cancer screening programme similar to the breast cancer and cervical cancer screening programmes.

Will Quince: No assessment has been made. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not currently recommend the introduction of prostate screening, as there is no accurate test. There is insufficient evidence for clinicians to determine those men who require treatment and those who may be safely monitored. The UK NSC plans to review the evidence for prostate cancer screening in 2023 and an updated recommendation will be made.

Evusheld: Procurement

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement on 12 August 2022 that Government will not be procuring any doses of Evusheld at this time, if he will (a) provide details of the process that led to that decision, and (b) set out what threshold of evidence for effectiveness he expects to be set for potential future prophylactic Covid-19 treatments.

Robert Jenrick: The decision not to procure Evusheld for prevention through emergency routes is based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group. The decision is based on a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies. RAPID C-19 monitors activity in clinical trials for emerging evidence and where treatments are proven to be clinically effective, enables access for National Health Service patients. The Chief Medical Officer for England is content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and it should now be referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for further evaluation. The Department intends to publish further details of the clinical advice received shortly.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Finance

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional funding her Department has provided to Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for schemes designed to combat the spread of HIV.

Dr Caroline Johnson: In 2020/21 and 2021/22 we have invested £33 million in the deployment of the HIV prevention drug pre-exposure prophylaxis in specialist sexual health clinics, which has been made routinely available in England, including Blackpool.NHS England is investing £20 million for opt-out HIV testing in 21 local authority areas with the highest HIV prevalence, including Blackpool, in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines. All sites aim to be fully established during 2022/23.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, where in the country the 100,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine due to arrive in September 2022 will be distributed.

Dr Caroline Johnson: Decisions on allocations of vaccines across the United Kingdom are made in partnership with the devolved administrations, with eligibility for vaccination determined by the UK Health Security Agency’s vaccination strategy. Allocation of vaccines are determined by occurrence, distribution and control of infectious and non-infectious diseases in populations, which is kept under constant review. Public health authorities will distribute these allocations in local areas.

Abortion: Drugs

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Abortion notification forms for England and Wales, for what reason there is a discrepancy between the HSA4 paper form and the HSA4 electronic form related to written confirmation being required for patients under 13; and what safeguarding procedures her Department has put in place to ensure vulnerable children under 13 are cared for.

Dr Caroline Johnson: All abortion notification forms are reviewed and data quality checks are completed. Whilst electronic forms automatically send a prompt to check date of birth for a patient under the age of 14 years old, paper forms where the age is recorded as under 14 years old are returned by post for confirmation of the date of birth.The Department has specific required standard operating procedures for independent providers to follow for those aged under 13 years old accessing services. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health recently published safeguarding guidance for those aged under 18 years old accessing services, which will ensure that robust safeguarding processes are embedded and that vulnerable children under 13 years old are appropriately cared for.

Abortion: Drugs

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence her Department assessed prior to the decision to update the HSA4 electronic form to note that for medical abortions, abortion providers should use the dates that they supplied the medication to the patient, rather than the dates the provider advised the patient that they should take them; and what steps are being taken to ensure complications arising from the same early medical abortion are recorded, given that complications would be unknown prior to the pills being taken.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Abortion (Amendment) Regulations 2022 updated the notification requirements for medical abortion. When both pills for medical abortion are taken in the clinic, providers are required to record the date of treatment. When one or both pills are to be self-administered at home, providers are required to record the date on which the early medical abortion pill was due to be taken by the patient, in accordance with the medical practitioner’s instructions.The Department is aware that complications may be less likely to be recorded where one or both pills are taken at home. We are currently identifying additional sources of information to complement data on complications from notification forms and review and improve the reporting of serious incidents.

Abortion: Clinics

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve standards at (a) BPAS Merseyside and (b) other abortion clinics rated by the Care Quality Commission as requiring improvement.

Dr Caroline Johnson: Clinics in Basingstoke, Doncaster, Merseyside, Middlesbrough, Norwich, Sandwell, Stratford Upon Avon and Taunton have been rated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as ‘Requires Improvement’. The CQC has met with the providers and will continue to monitor these clinics.  Departmental officials also have regular meetings with the CQC to ensure women continue to receive a safe and high quality abortion service.

British Pregnancy Advisory Service: Merseyside

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding published on 28 July 2022 by the Care Quality Commission that BPAS Merseyside did not have a system for the observation of children under the age of 18 years using the modified early warning score (MEWS) to ensure early recognition and safe timely escalation of deteriorating children, whether he is taking steps to protect the welfare of girls under 18 who have visited BPAS Merseyside.

Dr Caroline Johnson: During the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) most recent inspection of BPAS Merseyside, it found that the service uses one universal tool for all people using the service, rather than a specific paediatric early warning score to assess young people. Following the inspection, BPAS is reviewing the process for the escalation of deterioration in the condition of young people and has issued a statement on a review of tools and current guidance. The CQC does not have evidence that young people under the age of 18 years old have been harmed as a result. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health recently published new safeguarding guidance for all under 18 year olds accessing early medical abortion services.

Obesity

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the impact of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy on obesity levels since its introduction.

Dr Caroline Johnson: Obesity is multifactorial therefore it is not possible to determine the direct impact of the soft drinks industry levy on prevalence rates. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities monitors amendments made to drinks subject to the levy and in 2020, reported that there was a 43.7% reduction in the total sugar content per 100 millilitres between 2015 and 2019. A further assessment is due to be published in late 2022.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department will take to coordinate the (a) distribution of and (b) appointments for the monkeypox vaccines arriving in the UK in September 2022.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The distribution of vaccines will be made by relevant authorities in each nation of the United Kingdom. The devolved administrations and the respective health services will determine how supplies are distributed and manage appointments for those eligible for vaccination.

Smoking

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of The Khan review: making smoking obsolete, published on 9 June 2022.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Government is carefully considering the recommendations made in the Khan review. We will publish our response in due course.

Leptospirosis

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of leptospirosis were diagnosed in each NHS Trust in England in each of the last ten years.

Dr Caroline Johnson: A table showing a count of finished episode admissions in each year from 2012/13 to 2020/21 where any primary or secondary diagnosis of leptospirosis was recorded by hospital provider in England is attached. In order to protect patient confidentiality '*' appears in the table for all sub-national breakdowns, where it is possible to calculate a value between 1 and 7 from the data presented. All other sub-national data has been rounded to the nearest 5.The UK Health Security Agency also publishes data summarising confirmed cases of selected zoonoses, including probable cases of leptospirosis reported in England and Wales between April and June 2022, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/common-animal-associated-infections-2022/common-animal-associated-infections-england-and-wales-second-quarter-2022#leptospirosisLeptospirosis diagnoses in England by NHS Trust (xlsx, 38.4KB)

Health Services: Schools

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on taking steps to help ensure that (a) primary and (b) secondary schools (i) engender good (A) mental and (B) physical health and (ii) engage with the delivery of healthcare to their (1) students and (2) parents.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department continues to work with the Department for Education to ensure that schools engender good mental and physical health. In line with ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision: a Green Paper’, we are jointly supporting schools to implement a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing, including through the deployment of mental health support teams and by offering grants for the training of senior mental health leads. We are providing teachers with resources to deliver statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education and we are supporting school nurse-led services for families in and out of school settings through the Healthy Child Programme.

Abortion

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the care of babies born alive after their mother's have accessed at-home early abortion pills during late pregnancy.

Dr Caroline Johnson: In line with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ clinical guidelines, feticide should be performed before medical abortion after 21 weeks and six days of gestation to ensure that there is no risk of a live birth. We are aware of a small number of incidents where late gestation abortions have occurred after taking early medical abortion pills and these are being investigated appropriately.

Dementia: Air Pollution

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential link between dementia and air pollution.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP), an expert committee of the Department, has evaluated the evidence between cognitive decline and dementia risk in adults and exposure to ambient air pollution. It concluded that it is likely that air pollution contributes to these effects through the circulation. It is known that air pollutants, particularly small particles, can affect the heart and blood vessels, including to the brain.Recommendations have been made for further research which COMEAP believes would develop the evidence on this topic.

Abortion

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that late-term abortions do not take place under the at-home early abortion scheme in the absence of a requirement to verify gestational age in-person.

Dr Caroline Johnson: Independent clinical advice states that an ultrasound should be provided in certain conditions, including if a woman is unable to provide her last menstrual period with reasonable certainty or if there is a high risk of ectopic pregnancy. The Department has published guidance on the new legal requirement for doctors prescribing abortion pills for use at home to record their good faith opinion that the pregnancy will not have exceeded 10 weeks when the first pill is taken.

Coronavirus: Screening

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department collects covid-19 test results from private covid-19 test providers which allow for self-reporting of results.

Dr Caroline Johnson: Lateral flow device (LFD) tests which are privately purchased cannot currently be registered on GOV.UK and there is no requirement to report these results to the provider. However, this is kept under review. Free LFD tests can still be registered on GOV.UK.

Obesity: Preventive Medicine

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings she has had with obesity prevention charities and organisations since her appointment.

Dr Caroline Johnson: There have been no such meetings.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason covid-19 vaccines are only offered by the NHS and not by private clinics.

Dr Caroline Johnson: COVID-19 vaccines are delivered through the National Health Service to ensure that it is free at the point of delivery, in line with the advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. As of 30 August 2022, this has enabled over 126 million doses to be administered in England through a range of delivery models, such as pharmacies. While there are currently no plans to use private clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, this will be kept under review.

Prisoners: Palliative Care

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that every prison in England is (a) aware of the Dying Well in Custody Charter and (b) uses the Charter to improve the palliative and end of life care their prisoners receive.

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment she has made of the (a) access to and (b) quality of palliative and end of life care in (i) prisons and (ii) the community.

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the consistency of provision of palliative and end of life care across the prison estate.

Dr Caroline Johnson: No specific assessments have been made.However, the ‘National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare in England 2018 – 2021’ has supported the implementation of the Dying Well in Custody Charter in the English estate. The Charter’s workplan sets out how NHS England and HM Prison and Probation Service can continue improvements to health and social care outcomes for older people and those with serious illnesses, including palliative and end of life care. A revised workplan for 2022 to 2023 is currently being developed.NHS England is convening a joint working group with HM Prison and Probation Service to conduct a review of current progress in delivering the Dying Well in Custody Charter workplan. This group will also consider opportunities to develop networks and forums for sharing good practice. The Ministry of Justice will publish the Aging Prison Population Strategy in due course and how the Dying Well in Custody Charter will be embedded within prisons.

Dental Services: Training

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the dental workforce are able to (a) access training and (b) gain practice in administering a variety of treatments and using clinical competencies.

Will Quince: The Department is working with Health Education England (HEE) to ensure that dental trainees have access to appropriate training opportunities. From 2020 to 2023, HEE is investing £32 million to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on dental training, including the availability of clinical placements.In September 2021, HEE published its ‘Advancing Dental Care Review’. The Review introduced the concept of Centres for Dental Development to integrate dental education and training at all levels with service delivery models, particularly in localities where there is a shortage in provision of dental services.HEE will work with the Department, NHS England and other stakeholders, including existing dental schools, to develop Integrated Centres for Dental Development in areas in need of workforce development. HEE is working with regional commissioners where an interest in the scheme has been expressed.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans she has to procure further quantities of the monkeypox vaccine in addition to the 100,000 acquired.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has secured one of the highest number of doses in the world to manage the current outbreak, procuring 150,000 doses for the UK from the global manufacturer of smallpox vaccines. The initial delivery of around 50,000 doses – the maximum amount immediately available – has been rolled out at pace to provide as much protection to as many eligible people as possible.Since 1 May 2022 over 46,000 doses of the vaccine have been made available to the NHS in England. The UKHSA is monitoring demand and remains in discussions with the manufacturer to ensure the United Kingdom can procure further doses as required.

Sun: Safety

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her Department has taken to promote safety in the sun.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published the most recent ‘Heatwave plan for England’ on 26 April 2022, which provides advice on safety from heat-related harm to health. The plan is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1096593/heatwave-plan-for-England-2022-5-August-2022.pdfThe UKHSA held a heatwave and summer preparedness stakeholder event on 28 April 2022 with over 1,000 participants from the health and social care sector and other Government departments and issued a toolkit for hot weather to National Health Service organisations, emergency services and local authorities in England through Local Resilience Forums and regional communications teams. On 14 July 2022, the UKHSA provided heat health alerts and advice on staying safe in the sun during extreme heat, which is available at the following link:https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2022/07/14/staying-safe-in-extreme-heat/The NHS also has published guidance on the wearing of suitable clothing, such as hats and sunglasses and the use of sunscreen which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/sunscreen-and-sun-safety/

Drugs: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help reduce the harms of drug addiction in Portsmouth South constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: In December 2021, the Government published ‘From harm to hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives’ which aims to reduce crime, drug related deaths and harm and overall drug use. The strategy is supported by approximately £900 million, of which £532 million is allocated to improve local council commissioned substance misuse treatment and recovery services over the next three years. Through the local council allocations for 2022/23, the Portsmouth area will receive £503,741 for the aims of the drug strategy and an additional £48,132 for inpatient detoxification.

Long Covid

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making people with Long Covid eligible for early covid-19 booster vaccinations by classifying them as clinically vulnerable.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Government continues to be guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on the eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations. The autumn booster vaccination will be offered to those at higher risk of severe COVID-19, including adults aged 50 years old and over and individuals aged five to 49 years old in a clinical risk group. These clinical risk groups are defined in the UK Health Security Agency’s ‘Green Book’ on vaccines and immunisation for those conditions which evidence suggests put individuals at greater risk of severe outcomes, including hospitalisation or death. Post-COVID-19 Syndrome is not currently identified by the JCVI as such a condition.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has assessed the potential merits of introducing a discretionary exception for under-75s for the fourth covid-19 booster vaccine.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has set out that COVID-19 vaccinations should target those who are vulnerable to serious outcomes from infection. Therefore, the autumn booster programme includes those who are vulnerable through age, clinical condition or who are at high risk of transmission of COVID-19 to vulnerable individuals. This includes many people aged under 75 years old.On 15 July 2022, the Government accepted the advice of the JCVI to offer a booster vaccination in autumn to those at higher risk from severe COVID-19 in winter 2022/23. The booster dose will be offered to residents and staff in care homes for older adults; frontline health and social care workers; carers aged 16 years old and over; all adults aged 50 years old and over; and those aged five to 49 years old in a clinical risk group or who are household contacts of someone with immunosuppression.

Nutrition: Costs

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the independent report entitled National Food Strategy, published on 15 July 2021, whether she has had recent discussions with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the implications for her policies of the recommendation that the true cost of eating healthily should be calculated into benefits payments; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Caroline Johnson: There have been no specific discussions. The Office of Health Improvement and Disparities will explore options to assess the cost of a healthy diet with a focus on families.

Endometriosis: Health Services

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) entitled Endometriosis: diagnosis and management, NG73, published on 6 September 2017, if he will hold discussions with NICE on (a) reviewing and (b) updating that guidance to help improve (i) the (A) pharmacological and (B) non-pharmacological approaches for pain management, (ii) care pathways for endometriosis outside the pelvic cavity and (iii) mental health support.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body responsible for its published guidelines. NICE’s guideline on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis includes recommendations on pharmacological pain management and organisation of care. It also states that women with suspected or confirmed endometriosis should be provided with information and support that takes into account their psychosexual and emotional needs.NICE updated this guideline in 2021 to highlight that people with endometriosis outside the pelvic cavity should be referred to a specialist endometriosis centre. In light of the continued interest in this topic, NICE is currently reviewing its guideline to determine whether it should be updated.

Speech and Language Therapy: Children

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children were receiving auditory verbal therapy in England as of 20 September 2022; if her Department will make an estimate of the number of deaf children in England who could potentially benefit from that therapy; if her Department will make an assessment of the (a) accessibility of auditory verbal therapy to deaf children through the NHS and (b) potential social return on further investment in that therapy in England; and whether her Department has plans to provide investment to train an additional 300 specialist therapists as recommended by Auditory Verbal UK.

Dr Caroline Johnson: Data regarding the number of children receiving auditory verbal therapy in England is not held centrally and there are no current plans to make a specific estimate of the number of children who could benefit. There are no plans to make an assessment of the accessibility of or the potential social return on further investment in auditory verbal therapy.‘Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups’ was published in July 2016. This framework supported the former clinical commissioning groups and the newly established integrated care boards to make informed decisions on maximising value for local populations and provide consistent, high quality, integrated care. It also addresses inequalities in access and outcomes between hearing services.There are no current plans to provide specific investment in training auditory verbal therapists. However, since September 2020, all eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health profession students have received a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year. Additional funding is also available for studying certain courses, such as mental health and learning disabilities nursing, with further financial support available to students for childcare, dual accommodation costs and travel.

Alcoholic Drinks: Consumption

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the way in which alcohol consumption habits have changed during the last two years.

Dr Caroline Johnson: ‘Monitoring alcohol consumption and harm during the COVID-19 pandemic: summary’ published in July 2021, reviewed the changes in alcohol consumption and harm during the COVID-19 pandemic. This indicated that there has been a change in where people buy alcohol, with more alcohol being purchased in the off-trade. The volume of off-trade sales increased by 25% between 2019 and 2020. The report is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-consumption-and-harm-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/monitoring-alcohol-consumption-and-harm-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-summarySurveys measuring self-reported alcohol consumption show that the majority of respondents reported drinking the same volume and the same frequency as before the pandemic. Similar proportions of respondents reported drinking more or more frequently and drinking less or less frequently. Those who reported drinking more during the pandemic than before tended to be heavier drinkers.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Staff

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support staff at sexual health clinics with manging the monkeypox virus outbreak.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes guidance on monkeypox for healthcare workers, including those working in sexual health services and for people and groups at increased risk to prevent onward transmission of the virus.The UKHSA has issued guidance on a range of issues including diagnostic testing, case definitions, contact tracing and vaccination strategy. This guidance is available at the following link:www.gov.uk/government/collections/monkeypox-guidance

Health Services: Protective Clothing

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of NHS (a) policies and (b) protocols for use of personal protective equipment by NHS staff undertaking home visits at reducing risks for those whose immune system means they are at higher risk from covid-19; whether she plans to require the use of personal protective equipment by NHS staff during such visits; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Caroline Johnson: There are no current plans to make a specific assessment. We expect National Health Service providers to take account of the latest infection protection and control guidance when implementing such measures either in a hospital or community setting.

Parkinson's Disease

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 July 2022 to Question 31846, on Parkinson's Disease, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a national register of patients with a Parkinson's diagnosis; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Caroline Johnson: There are no current plans to do so.

Doctors: Pensions

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of abolishing the cap on NHS doctors’ pensions.

Robert Jenrick: There is no cap on doctors’ pensions. Pension saving is tax free up to the annual and lifetime allowances. ‘Our plan for patients’ announced flexibilities for doctor's pensions to encourage retention within the profession.

Medical Equipment: Recycling

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department are taking to help increase the recycling of hospital equipment, including crutches; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a returns scheme for this equipment.

Robert Jenrick: National Health Service organisations are locally responsible for policies on the reuse and recycling of hospital equipment. Patients are encouraged to contact the local NHS trust which can advise on how equipment can be returned or re-used where it is safe to do so.

Department of Health and Social Care: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for her Departmental staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by her Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Robert Jenrick: The information requested is not collected centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Finance

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional funding her Department made available to Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust during the course of the covid-19 outbreak.

Robert Jenrick: The Department issues funding to NHS England which determine allocations to integrated care boards. National Health Service trusts receive payment by activity commissioned by integrated care boards to provide a range of healthcare services.The funding received by Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, including funding related to the COVID-19 pandemic, is published in the Trust’s published Annual Report and Accounts for 2019/20 and 2020/21. The Trust has not yet published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2021/22.

Silicosis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) diagnoses of and (b) deaths from silicosis there have been in each of the last five years.

Dr Caroline Johnson: Data on the diagnoses of, and deaths due to, silicosis is collected by the Health and Safety Executive and the Office for National Statistics. ‘Silicosis and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis statistics in Great Britain, contains the latest data of the estimated number of new cases and the number of recorded deaths 2016: 16 diagnoses and 11 deaths.2017: 12 diagnoses and 8 deaths.2018: 24 diagnoses and 11 deaths.2019: 27 diagnoses and 12 deaths.2020: 17 diagnoses and 10 deaths The number of cases for 2020 is likely to have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. There are typically between 10 and 20 annual deaths in recent years, with an average of 12 per year over the last 10 years.

HIV Infection

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of people living with HIV and receiving NHS care who had missing evidence of viral suppression by (a) age, (b) gender, (c) HIV exposure, (d) ethnicity and (e) region in each of the last ten years.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of people who were living with HIV and attending NHS care who had missing evidence of viral suppression in each (a) hospital trust and (b) NHS region in each of the last ten years.

Dr Caroline Johnson: No formal assessment has been made.

Electronic Cigarettes: Young People

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the trends in the level of use of e-cigarettes in people under 18 years old.

Dr Caroline Johnson: In 2018, National Health Service data showed that rates of current and regular use of e-cigarettes for 11 to 15-year-olds were 6% and 2% respectively. However, data for 2021 published on 6 September 2022 shows an increase to 9% and 4% respectively. The Department is considering further measures to prevent further uptake of e-cigarettes by under 18 year olds, while maximising the opportunities for quitting smoking in adults.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the durability of the covid-19 (a) vaccine and (b) booster vaccine in holding immunity.

Dr Caroline Johnson: Several studies of vaccine effectiveness have been conducted in the United Kingdom which indicated that, against the Delta variant, two doses had an initial 90% effectiveness against symptomatic infection, waning over six months to 65% to 80% depending on the vaccine. Booster doses were found to restore vaccine effectiveness to over 90%. Protection against severe disease remained high in the first six months after at least two doses. For the Omicron variant, effectiveness against symptomatic infection was lower at an initial 70% after a booster, waning to 10 to 20% after five months. For the Omicron variant, effectiveness against hospitalisation following a booster dose is initially over 90%, waning to 70% after six months.The UK Health Security Agency continues to assess data on vaccine effectiveness, including immunity to COVID-19. The most recent COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report was published on 1 September. This contains updates on effectiveness of the spring booster programme and against Omicron BA.5 and BA.5 sub-lineages, vaccination in pregnancy and vaccine impact on proportion of the population with antibodies to COVID-19. The report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-weekly-surveillance-reports

Department for Education

Schools: Uniforms

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to help make school uniforms more affordable.

Jonathan Gullis: The ‘Cost of school uniform’ guidance, which was published in November 2021 and came into force at the start of September, requires schools to ensure that their uniform is affordable and secures best value for money for parents. It requires schools to:keep branded items to a minimum and limited to low cost or long-lasting itemsgive the highest priority to cost and value for money in their supply arrangementsmake second-hand uniform available for parents to acquirepublish their uniform policy on their website and ensure that this is easily understoodengage with parents and pupils on cost issues when they are developing their uniform policy.Headteachers know their school communities best and can make decisions on the branded items that are most appropriate to their school. Branded items create a sense of common identity and prevent pupils from competing against one another in the latest fashion trends. The guidance requires school leaders to carefully consider the overall cost implications of their chosen approach, including whether requiring a branded item is the most cost-effective way of achieving the desired result for their uniform. To ensure that school uniform acts as a social leveller, optional branded items should be kept to a minimum.The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms/cost-of-school-uniforms.

Oak National Academy: Finance

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what budget his Department has allocated to Oak National Academy in the financial year 2022-2023; how that money will be spent in the remainder of the financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: A total of £9.8 million has been budgeted for Oak National Academy in the financial year 2022/2023.Oak National Academy will continue to work with teachers across the country, giving them and their pupils access to high-quality digital curriculum resources which are free, optional, and adaptable. These optional resources will be available across the UK, helping teachers deliver a high-quality curriculum.Oak will begin a procurement of full curriculum packages this autumn. Based on sector feedback and in line with the government’s strategic priorities, the first group of six subjects will be: English, maths, science, history, geography and music. Oak’s intention is to have some limited, new resources available in September 2023, with most of Oak’s existing resources maintained on the platform in the interim. Full curriculum packages in the first group of subjects will be available by September 2024.A portion of the £9.8 million of funding was allocated through the Grant Funding Agreement which enabled Oak National Academy to maintain its activity prior to becoming a non-departmental public body.

ICT: Teachers

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to recruit adequate numbers of computing teachers in schools.

Jonathan Gullis: In 2021, there were almost 6,600 computing teachers in state-funded secondary schools in England, which is 520 more than in 2020.Recruitment to computing is supported by tax free scholarships of £26,000 and bursaries of £24,000 for postgraduate trainees, as it is considered a high priority subject.The teaching marketing campaign provides inspiration and support to explore a career in teaching and directs people to the Get Into Teaching service. Prospective trainees can access support and advice through expert one-to-one Teacher Training Advisers, a contact centre and a national programme of events.Additionally, the Get School Experience digital service arranges school experience placements between prospective candidates and schools. Get Into Teaching is also developing innovative activities to ensure future interest in teaching, with a focus on shortage subjects, such as teaching internships for computing, physics and maths undergraduates.

Children: Speech and Language Therapy

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will make an estimate of the number of deaf children in England who could potentially benefit from auditory verbal therapy; and if his Department will make an assessment of the (a) accessibility of that therapy to the families of deaf children, (b) educational outcomes for deaf children who have received at least two years of that therapy and (c) potential merits for educational outcomes in England of embedding 300 trained practitioners in that therapy, as recommended by Auditory Verbal UK.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department does not hold data on the number of deaf children in England who could potentially benefit from Auditory Verbal therapy.In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Green Paper, the Department of Health and Social Care committed to work with Health Education England, NHS England and the Department for Education to build on existing evidence and build a clearer picture of demand for support for children and young people with SEND from the therapy and diagnostic workforce. This will allow workforce planning to focus on the areas of the health workforce that are a priority for meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND.

Free School Meals

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on the number of children living in poverty who are not eligible for free school meals.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department does not currently have any plans to assess the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on the number of children living in poverty who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM). However, the department continues to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue and the department will continue to keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the government believes that the current level, which enables children to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one.The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, the greatest ever proportion of school children, 37.5%, are now provided with FSM.

Schools: Energy

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to reopen the Schools Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme.

Jonathan Gullis: Schools can apply for funding to support energy efficiency and decarbonisation under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. The latest phase for these applications is due to open in October 2022 and schools can apply for funding under the scheme online.The Department allocates capital funding each year to improve the condition of the school estate, including improving energy efficiency. The Department has allocated £13.1 billion in condition funding since 2015 for this purpose, including £1.8 billion committed for the financial year 2022/23.

Further Education and Schools: Blackpool

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what capital resources his Department has made available since December 2019 to support schools and colleges in Blackpool.

Jonathan Gullis: Blackpool local authority receives an annual School Condition Allocation (SCA) to spend on improving the condition of its maintained schools. The SCA funding allocated to Blackpool local authority since the financial year 2019/2020 is set out below. For the financial year 2020/21, the figure includes an extra £166,210 as part of an additional £560 million committed to schools in that year.Financial yearSCA funding for Blackpool LA2019-2020£357,8302020-2021£524,0972021-2022£574,8642022-2023£579,194 There have been three annual bidding rounds for the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) since December 2019 and, over these rounds, CIF-eligible schools in Blackpool have received a total of £2.1 million in funding.The Department also provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities meet their statutory duty to provide sufficient mainstream school places, based on their own forecast data. The total funding Blackpool has been allocated between 2019 and 2025 is just over £1.4 million.Blackpool has also received just over £2.4 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations between 2021 and 2024 to create new places and improve existing provision for children and young with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision. It also received just under £850,000 between 2018 and 2021 through the Special Provision Capital Fund to help create new places for pupils with education, health, and care plans.In addition, there has been a total of £5,304,205 in capital funding allocated to colleges in Blackpool since December 2019.Capital funding secured through the free schools programme has also led to the opening of Lotus Special School in September 2020 and the completion of all works on the permanent site for the new Armfield Academy in February 2021.

Extended Services

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking with local authorities to help ensure that school facilities are available for use by local communities.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department encourages all schools to take an active part in their local communities with many schools already opening up their facilities to support local groups. These include sports teams using school pitches, or community groups using school halls in the evening. For academies, the Department has also taken steps to ensure community use through the funding agreement which states that academy trusts ‘must ensure that each of its academies is at the heart of its community, promoting community cohesion and sharing facilities with other schools and/or other educational institutions and the wider community.’The Department announced in October 2021 that it will invest nearly £30 million per year to open up school sport facilities in England, as well as to improve the teaching of Physical Education in primary schools. The Department is currently procuring phase 3 of the Opening School Facilities programme, which will provide further support to schools to open their sport and leisure facilities in the evenings, at weekends and during the school holidays.

Schools: Solar Power

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the (a) number and (b) surface area of solar panels installed on (a) academy, (b) maintained and (c) other schools in England as on 20 September 2022; and if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of his Department's collection of that information.

Jonathan Gullis: The number of solar panels, recorded by surveyors as photovoltaic (PV) panels, in schools in England was collected as part of the Condition Data Programme (CDC) which ran from 2017 to 2019. It was recorded that there were 175,634 solar panels in academy schools (representing 1,929 schools), 116,015 in maintained schools (representing 2,046 schools), and 4,504 in other schools (representing 37 schools). The Department is refreshing the data through the successor CDC2 programme. The data will be ready to share once the programme has concluded.The Department does not collect data on the surface area of solar panels.For CDC we collected data on solar panels for 64,000 school blocks or 99.8% of the school estate in England. This data gives us a clear picture of the extent of installation of solar panels on school buildings in the school estate in England. The data:is collected from a visual, non-intrusive survey of schools in Englandrepresents data collected from 2017 to2019 and does not incorporate subsequent changesincludes solar panels attached to school buildings and will exclude any solar panels located elsewhere on the school site.

Schools: Floods

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of localised flooding following high rainfall on schools in England; and what data his Department holds on the number of schools that needed to close in (a) whole or (b) part for that reason in each of the last three months.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department has not made a comprehensive assessment of the effect of localised flooding and there is no requirement on schools, or their responsible bodies, to notify the Department of flood events. A school's responsible body, typically a trust or local authority, is responsible for managing an emergency situation, including contacting their insurers. Where the Department is made aware of a flood impacted school, departmental officials provide advisory support to ensure the school is able to remain open or reopen at the earliest opportunity. In addition, the Department’s Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) scheme, an alternative to insurance for academies and schools, provides direct support to its members where they have been impacted.Local authorities as Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs), including county councils and unitary authorities, lead in managing local flood risks. This includes ensuring co-operation between the Risk Management Authorities in their area.The Department is aware of seven schools that were members of the RPA scheme impacted by localised flooding over the last three months. None of the impacted schools needed to close as the events were during the summer holiday period. All of these schools opened as planned in September 2022.

Languages: Teachers

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he will take to increase the level of recruitment of language teachers in England.

Jonathan Gullis: For the 2022/23 academic year, the Department has increased the languages bursary to £15,000 as we recognise that recruiting languages trainees will remain challenging. All languages trainee teachers on tuition fee-funded Initial Teacher Training routes are also able to apply for a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan to support their living costs. Additional student finance is also available depending on individual circumstances, such as the Childcare Grant.The Department has also committed to introducing a new scholarship to attract the most talented language graduates to the profession. Further details will be announced in due course.The Department continues to develop policies to increase the supply of specialist languages teachers by focusing on new interventions, covering a broad range of areas, such as growing awareness and experience of teaching among undergraduates.This includes the Teaching Internships programme, which gives undergraduates studying for a degree in certain subjects the opportunity to experience teaching. For 2023 this programme will be available to modern foreign language students nationally, after a successful pilot in the North-East during 2022. This programme is part of the Get into Teaching service, supporting prospective teachers through their journey into the profession.To attract the best languages teachers from around the world the Department is also bringing forward a package of new measures to make teaching in England even more attractive. This includes:a relocation premium to help those moving to England with the costs of visas and other expensesbursary and scholarship entitlement for international trainees with the potential to be excellent teachers in priority subjectsa new approach to recognising overseas qualifications so that high-quality teachers wherever they are from can come to teach in England.The Department remains on track for delivering our manifesto commitment of a £30,000 starting salary. This helps to raise the status of the teaching profession and provide a pay offer that better motivates teachers to stay. This is particularly important at early career, where pay has the most impact for recruitment and retention.The Department has accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendations of a significant 8.9% pay uplift to the teacher starting salary outside London in 2022/23, bringing it up to £28,000. This is an uplift of £2,286.

Schools: Energy

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help schools with energy payments this winter.

Jonathan Gullis: Like families and businesses across the country, schools are facing challenges with rising prices due to inflation and the rising cost of energy. The significant cash increases to school funding will help schools manage these higher costs. Core schools funding (including funding for mainstream schools and high needs) is increasing by £4 billion in the 2022/23 financial year compared to the previous financial year. On 21 September 2022, the Government set out how businesses and public sector organisations, including schools, will be supported by the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. This will reduce how much schools need to spend on their energy and give schools greater certainty over their budgets over the winter months. Any school which has signed a fixed energy contract since April 2022 will be eligible for support if, at the time they signed their contact, wholesale prices for the next 6 months were expected to be higher than the Government supported price of £211/MWh for electricity, and £75/MWh for gas. For example, a school which uses 10 MWh of electricity and 22 MWh of gas a month and signed a fixed contract giving them a current monthly energy bill of about £10,000, would receive support based on the difference between expected wholesale prices when they signed their contract and the Government supported price. For a contract signed in July 2022, this could be worth £240/MWh for electricity and £70/MWh for gas, meaning the school receives a discount of £4,000 per month, reducing their original bill by 40%. Support will also be available to schools on variable, deemed and other contracts. The details of the scheme can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers. The Department will continue to help schools to manage their budgets through its range of school resource management tools. The Department knows that every school’s circumstances are different, and where schools are in serious financial difficulty, they should contact their local authority or the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

Department for Education: Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many young people aged eighteen or younger have undertaken work experience in his Department in the last 12 months.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department does not hold a central record of young people aged eighteen or younger who have undertaken work experience in the Department in the last 12 months, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

National Curriculum Tests

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of key stage 2 assessment papers that have been lost from the most recent set of examinations.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that lessons are learned from the loss of key stage 2 assessment papers this academic year.

Jonathan Gullis: The Standards and Testing Agency (STA), and its test operations service supplier, Capita, have apologised for the issues with missing scripts in the 2022 key stage 2 (KS2) assessment cycle. As of 11 September 2022, the total number of scripts marked and results returned to schools was 99.95% of the total number of scripts. The total number of confirmed missing scripts is 1,974, out of over 3.8 million in total. This represents 0.05% of all scripts.To mitigate the number of pupils without missing scripts, Capita conducted physical searches of the script storage and scanning warehouse, viewed scanned scripts on screen and reviewed attendance registers and other administration information in relation to the 2022 tests. Through this work, a significant number of previously missing scripts were found and marked. Despite the search activity, some scripts were not located and are now deemed to be lost. STA has written to schools to inform them of the situation and apologise for the missing scripts.For those pupils that are still impacted by the missing scripts, parents and pupils should be assured that where a pupil did not have all test results, schools are still able to make assessment of a child’s development by teacher assessment. Primary and secondary schools work together to ensure pupils are supported appropriately on transition and build on the education they have received at primary school.STA and Capita are undertaking a thorough review of the most recent test cycle to ensure the Department understands and learns from the issues that occurred. This work involves schools, trusts, local authorities and other key stakeholders.Further, STA’s contract with Capita contains a range of performance metrics that allow for a reduced fee to be paid in the event of performance levels dropping below a defined threshold. The contract is actively managed by departmental staff. Where performance levels are unsatisfactory, the levers in the contract are used alongside constructive dialogue with the supplier to ensure improved performance in future. In extreme cases of poor performance, the contract with Capita allows for a variety of remedial actions to be taken. Dependent on the circumstances, these could include termination of the agreement or a temporary period of closer control of the service by the Department. STA makes use of financial levers to incentivise performance by Capita.

Schools: Energy

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance he has given to schools and colleges whose fixed-term energy contracts have recently ended on whether to sign new contracts before the energy bills support scheme announced on 8 September 2022 is implemented.

Jonathan Gullis: On 21 September 2022, the Government set out how businesses and public sector organisations, including schools and colleges, will be supported by the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. This includes guidance on what that means for organisations on both fixed term contracts and variable tariffs.Any school which has signed a fixed energy contract since April 2022 will be eligible for support if, at the time they signed their contact, wholesale prices for the next 6 months were expected to be higher than the Government supported price of £211/MWh for electricity, and £75/MWh for gas.For example, a school which uses 10 MWh of electricity and 22 MWh of gas a month and signed a fixed contract giving them a current monthly energy bill of about £10,000, would receive support based on the difference between expected wholesale prices when they signed their contract and the Government supported price. For a contract signed in July 2022, this could be worth £240/MWh for electricity and £70/MWh for gas, meaning the school receives a discount of £4,000 per month, reducing their original bill by 40%.Support will also be available to schools on variable, deemed and other contracts.The Department has engaged with schools and colleges via the Department for Education’s sector bulletin, directing them to the guidance published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Schools: Energy

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2022 to Question 495 on Schools: Energy, if he will publish a summary of the findings of the survey sent to schools about their energy contracts.

Jonathan Gullis: The results of the DfE energy survey were published on 22 September.The findings can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-energy-survey-spring-2022.

Schools: Capital Investment

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer on 5 September 2022 to Question 42001 on Academies and Maintained Schools: Health and Safety, what the capital spend on schools in England was by (a) constituency and (b) local authority in each of the last 15 years.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department provides annual capital funding to support the education sector in England. This includes funding to create sufficient school places and to maintain and improve the condition of the school estate.The Department’s capital expenditure limit for the 2022/23 financial year is £6.2 billion. This is part of the total of £19.4 billion of capital funding announced at the 2021 Spending Review to support the education sector between the 2022/23 and 2024/25 financial years, an average of £6.5 billion per annum.There is no separate capital budget for schools specifically. It is also not possible to break down the Department’s capital funding by constituency or local authorities.Detail on total capital expenditure in each financial year for the last 15 years is available in the Department’s accounts at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-annual-reports.

Schools: Air Conditioning

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the (a) effectiveness and (b) efficiency of the roll out of air purification equipment in English schools in winter 2021.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department has not made an assessment on the effectiveness and efficiency on the rollout of air purification devices.The Department has delivered over 386,000 CO2 monitors to state-funded education settings, including early years, schools, and further education providers, to help manage ventilation needs against thermal comfort.Where areas of poor ventilation were identified that could not be quickly fixed, the Department provided over 8,000 air cleaning units with HEPA filters as a temporary measure while any identified, underlying ventilation issues were addressed.More information can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/delivery-of-air-cleaning-units.On 11 March 2022, the Department invited 1,299 education providers which had received Department-funded air cleaning units to participate in a survey to evaluate how the units were being used.More information about the evaluation and its findings can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1086631/FINAL_ACU_CO2_Evaluation_30_June_2022.pdf.The Department will continue to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care on outcomes from trials to assess the impact of air purification devices.

STEM Subjects: Young People

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps the Government has taken to encourage young people to take up STEM qualifications.

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more women to take up STEM qualifications.

Kelly Tolhurst: To ensure a strong pipeline of qualified students into science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) areas, the department has committed substantial spending on mathematics, digital and technical education. This includes funding the Stimulating Physics Network which provides tailored support to schools to increase rates of progression to physics A level and funding an Inclusion in Schools project, delivered by the Association for Science Education, which is designed to increase the uptake of A level physics from students in underrepresented groups, including girls. The department has also funded an £84 million programme to improve computing teaching and participation at GCSE and A level, particularly amongst girls.Additionally, the department has funded research programmes to investigate ways to tackle gender balance in STEM subjects, including the Improving Gender Balance national research trial for physics and the Gender Balance in Computing Programme. The computing research, led by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, has now concluded and its findings will be published in due course.The department has introduced T Levels as a high-quality technical alternative to A levels. The current T Levels in Science and Digital, as well as the upcoming T Levels in Engineering and Manufacturing, will provide opportunities for all students to study STEM-related subjects. To challenge stereotypes which may hold young people back, including gender stereotypes, we are using T Level ambassadors to showcase a wide range of voices from those already studying T levels, including girls taking STEM-related T Levels.

Nurseries: Food

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to provide all children in nurseries with access to (a) nutritious and (b) hot meals every day.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework requires that where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious. This is set out at Section 3.38, which also refers to example menus and guidance designed specifically for early years settings. The EYFS statutory framework can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

Special Educational Needs

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department will take steps to help ensure that the proposed increase in the timescales following an Education, Health and Care plan annual review will not have a negative impact on the support a child with complex needs receives.

Kelly Tolhurst: From June to August 2022, the department consulted on proposals to improve the processes for reviewing education, health and care (EHC) plans.The department proposed changes to the statutory duties, including a longer deadline for the issue of draft proposals to amend a plan. This was so that children and young people whose EHC plan is to be amended receive proposed amendments of the right quality, within a flexible and realistic deadline. This would help ensure that the needs of these children or young people continue to be met well, whilst allowing parents or the young person to appeal, in a timely way, the content of the final plan if need be.The department is currently considering the responses to the consultation and will publish a response in due course.

Children: Food

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he is taking steps to ensure that children living in poverty who are not eligible for free school meals have access to healthy meals.

Kelly Tolhurst: I refer the right hon. Member for Knowsley to the answer I gave on 21 September 2022 to Question 45077.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding his Department plans to provide for early years education in each of the next five years.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 provided the following settlement for the Early Years Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant:Financial year 2022/23: £3,670 million.Financial year 2023/24: £3,691 million.Financial year 2024/25: £3,679 million.Details on the Spending Review can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-and-spending-review-2021-documents.This funding settlement reflected cost pressures and changes in the number of eligible children anticipated at the time of the Spending Review. Early years spending is demand-led, and allocations will be adjusted based on the actual number of children and hours taken up, as recorded on the annual censuses. Therefore, actual spending may vary from the planned expenditure detailed above.Early years funding beyond the 2024/25 financial year will be determined at a future Spending Review.

Special Educational Needs: Standards

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the SEND review, published March 2022, what steps his Department is taking to implement new national standards for the SEND system that meet the needs of (a) children with complex disabilities and (b) every child.

Kelly Tolhurst: In March 2022, the department published the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper, which set out plans to make sure every child can reach their full potential.The Green Paper aims to drive national consistency in how needs are assessed, identified, and met across education, health, and care through the introduction of national standards. The department is considering the different options for placing these standards on a statutory footing, and we will continue to work with a variety of stakeholders as we develop our options.The Green Paper consultation closed on 22 July 2022, and the department is currently analysing the responses. The department will publish a national SEND and AP implementation strategy in due course, setting out our response to the consultation and the next steps for implementation of system reform.

Breakfast Clubs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that all schools offer free breakfast club places.

Kelly Tolhurst: The government is committed to continuing support for school breakfast clubs, and we are investing up to £24 million to continue our national programme until the end of the summer term in 2023. This funding will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas, meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment, wellbeing, and readiness to learn. Schools are eligible for the programme if they have 40% or more pupils within bands A-F of the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index, a nationally recognised indicator of need.The enrolment process is still underway for schools that wish to sign up to the programme. As of May 2022, over 2,000 schools had signed up.

Children: Social Services

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of children’s social care provision in (a) Sefton and (b) Lancashire.

Kelly Tolhurst: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Southport, to the answer I gave on 21 September 2022 to Question’s 45108 and 45126 in respect of children’s social care provision in Sefton. The Commissioner appointed in Sefton by the former Secretary of State for Education is currently finalising the report for submission to the department by 30 September 2022 to be published in October 2022. This report will help determine the best next steps to ensure improvements are made for vulnerable children and families.

Agency Social Workers

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to reduce the number of agency social workers working in the care system.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department invests over £50 million each year on recruiting and developing child and family social workers to ensure the workforce continues to have the capacity, skills, and knowledge to support and protect vulnerable children.However, as the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care set out, social worker recruitment, retention, and quality across the country are not consistently at the levels they need to be.The department is currently considering the review’s recommendations which includes ideas such as regional staff banks, national pay scales, and memoranda of understanding to help reduce the cost and use of agency social work.The department will publish the children’s social care implementation strategy in due course.

Extended Services and Free School Meals

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of schools offering (a) breakfast clubs and (b) after school clubs; and if he will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the availability of free school meals.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department is committed to continuing support for school breakfast clubs, and we are investing up to £24 million to continue our national programme until the end of the summer term in 2023. This funding will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas, meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment, wellbeing, and readiness to learn.Wraparound childcare is also important for removing barriers for, and supporting, parents to work. Therefore, the department strongly encourages all schools to offer before and after-school provision for their pupils. Parents have a right to request that the school their child attends provides wraparound childcare, and schools should not refuse a request without a reasonable justification, such as lack of demand.The department does not have any plans to hold discussions with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but we will continue to keep free school meal eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them.

Department for Education: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for his Departmental staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by his Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Jonathan Gullis: Since the commencement of the Equality Act 2010, we have no record that the Department has cited mandatory training of its employees as a defence against Section 109 proceedings.

Children: Day Care

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the cost of nursery places on household finances; and if the Government will provide more childcare support to parents.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of trends in the cost of childcare places as a proportion of average household incomes.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department has not made such assessments with Cabinet colleagues.We continue to work across government to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and accessible and to encourage families to use their entitlements. In July 2022, we announced measures to increase take-up of childcare support and reduce the costs and bureaucracy facing providers. These plans give providers more flexibility and autonomy and ensure families can access government support to save them money on their childcare bills.The department has a £1.2 million campaign underway via the Childcare Choices website to ensure that every parent knows about the government funded support they are eligible for. More information is available at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.The department is also working to expand the childminder market and encourage the growth of childminder agencies, which will enable greater access to this flexible, affordable form of care.Data from the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development shows that the net cost of full-time, centre-based childcare in the UK in 2021 for couples was 26% of household income, taking account of childcare benefits for a couple where both parents earn 67% of the average wage and have two children aged 2 and 3. This has increased slightly over recent years, from 23% in 2012, 25% in 2015 and 2018 and from 26% in 2019.

Free School Meals: Finance

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when his Department last made an assessment of the real terms value of the money allocated per meal for children on (a) universal infant and (b) other free school meals; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: At the point of any spending review, value is considered when decisions are made on any changes to meal rates. Other features such as inflation and the changing cost of living are also factors taken into account.Core schools funding has increased, including the ‘Free School Meals factor’, in the National Funding Formula (NFF) having increased to £470 per eligible pupil this year. In recognition of cost pressures, after the NFF rates were set, we provided additional core funding through a schools supplementary grant. As a result, mainstream schools funding is increasing by £2.5 billion in 2022/23, compared to last year.Following extensive consultation when the national funding formula (NFF) was first introduced, schools attracted £440 per pupil in FSM funding in 2018/19 and 2019/20. Since then, the per pupil rate for FSM has increased in line with inflation forecasts in every year.Ordinarily the new funding rates take effect from the start of the academic year, however, we recognise that schools are under cost pressures and some suppliers may have been forced to increase prices already. That is why we have backdated the increase to start from April 2022.

Education: Food Poverty

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of food poverty on educational attainment.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make a comparative assessment of children's (a) behaviour, (b) educational outcomes and (c) obesity in areas which (i) have and (ii) have not provided free school meals for all primary school age children.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to provide free school meals to all primary school-aged children in England.

Kelly Tolhurst: The provision of free school meals (FSM) to children from out-of-work families or those on low income is a top priority to the department.The department has no current plans to conduct our own assessment of the effects of FSM for primary school pupils.The department continues to monitor the rising cost of living, whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department thinks it is right that provision is aimed at supporting the most disadvantaged, those out of work or on the lowest incomes.The department does not have any plans to extend universal provision, but we will continue to review FSM eligibility to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them.

Oak National Academy: Competition

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the establishment of Oak National Academy as a public body on the operation of the wider market for commercial educational resources.

Kelly Tolhurst: As an integral part of the process to set up Oak National Academy as an arm’s length body, the department produced a business case which included an assessment of potential market impact. This business case will be published shortly. Monitoring market impact will be a priority throughout Oak National Academy’s lifetime and will be factored into the body’s ongoing evaluation and two-year review.

Pupils: LGBT+ People

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of research on LGBT+ bullying in schools by the charity Just Like Us.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to reduce LGBT+ bullying in schools.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department is aware of the report published by Just Like Us in 2021, which made specific points about the higher incidence of LGBT pupils being bullied and the importance of positive LGBT messaging in schools to pupils’ mental health.Bullying should never be tolerated, and the department is committed to supporting schools to tackle it. All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying and have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies and monitoring approaches to best suit their environment. The department provides advice for schools, which outlines schools’ responsibilities. This advice makes clear that schools should make appropriate provision for a bullied child's social, emotional and mental health needs. The advice is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying.The department is providing over £2 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2023, to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of particular groups, such as those who are victims of hate-related bullying and homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic bullying.The Relationships, Sex and Health Education statutory guidance states that all pupils should receive teaching on LGBT relationships during their school years. Secondary schools should include LGBT content in their teaching. Primary schools are strongly encouraged and enabled, when teaching about different types of family, to include families with same sex parents.We have published ‘Respectful School Communities’, a self-review and signposting tool to support schools to develop a whole-school approach which promotes respect and discipline. The review can be found here: https://educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/. This tool can help to combat bullying, harassment, and prejudice of any kind, including hate-based bullying.

Pupils: Attendance

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to improve student attendance levels in schools and academies in Solihull constituency.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department has a comprehensive attendance strategy in Solihull, and across all areas, to ensure that absence is minimised. This includes reviewing the education system as a whole and publishing guidance setting out how the Department expects schools, trusts, and local authorities to work together to improve attendance. The Department has also established an alliance of national leaders from education, children’s social care and allied services to work together to raise school attendance and reduce persistent absence. The alliance is formed with the single aim of raising attendance and a single belief that ultimately children are better off in education.The Department has also developed a number of effective practice webinars for schools, multi-academy trusts (MATs) and local authorities to support improvements in attendance. Rob Tarn, CEO of the Northern Education Trust, a MAT serving areas with high levels of disadvantage, is also working to disseminate best practice through close collaboration with other trusts.The Department works closely with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council on attendance. The local authority proactively engages with schools, MATs and parents on attendance and takes enforcement action where necessary.The Department is also working on establishing a better, more timely flow of national pupil level attendance data, collecting data directly from schools’ electronic registers. This will help schools and local authorities make better use of attendance data to identify those in need of support earlier. They will also help the Department respond to national and regional issues.Over the next two years the Department’s team of expert attendance advisers will expand into every local authority and play an important role to review their current practice and develop plans to improve.

Secure Accommodation: Scotland

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children were placed in secure accommodation in Scotland by (a) English and (b) Welsh local authorities in each year between 2017-18 and 2021-22.

Kelly Tolhurst: The available information for looked-after children placed in Scotland by English local authorities is in the table below. Figures for 2022 will be available after the ‘Children looked after in England’ statistical release is published later in the autumn.The department does not collect data on children placed by Welsh local authorities.Children looked after by English local authorities placed in secure accommodation in Scotland, 31 March 2018 to 2021.YearNumber201840201920202030202140 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and exclude children looked after in respite placements. Secure accommodation includes looked after children placed in secure children’s homes, young offender institutions or secure training centres. Statistics for looked after children are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.

Pre-school Education: Inspections

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of assessments carried out by (a) full-time regulatory Ofsted and (b) contract non-Ofsted employed inspectors were Inadequate or Needs Improvement judgments in the Early Years sector in each of the last five years.

Kelly Tolhurst: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Schools: Leadership

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to help increase the sharing of leadership skills across both primary and secondary education.

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support the building of leadership skills for school management in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department is creating a world-class teacher development system by transforming the training and support teachers and headteachers receive at every stage of their career.Each career stage is underpinned by evidenced-based frameworks that set out what teachers will learn and know after completing the programme. The frameworks build on and complement one another and have been independently reviewed by the Education Endowment Foundation to ensure they draw on the best available evidence of high-quality teaching and school leadership.This ‘golden thread’ of high-quality support and training begins with Initial Teacher Training based on the new ITT Core Content Framework, progresses through an extended free training entitlement over the first 2 years of a teacher’s career through the Early Career Framework reforms and leads to our suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) which support teachers and headteachers to develop their leadership skills at each stage of their career. This golden thread helps establish strong professional development cultures both within individual schools and across the country, elevating the quality of teaching and leadership and ultimately improving pupil outcomes. In addition, we continue to fund the High Potential Initial Teacher Training and Leadership Development Programme (HPITT), delivered by Teach First which aims to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils by recruiting, placing and training outstanding graduates and experienced professionals in disadvantaged schools.The suite of NPQs includes four leadership qualifications that support professionals to develop the knowledge, behaviours, and networks they need to be a high-performing teacher at different levels. The Early Headship Coaching offer is also available to professionals in their first five years in headship. This offer is a targeted support package which provides structured unassessed support based on the best available evidence about what makes an effective headteacher.As part of the Government’s long-term education recovery plan, £184 million of new funding will enable 150,000 education professionals employed at state-funded organisations across the sector to access fully funded training scholarships for NPQs. This support will be available in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years to help more professionals than ever before to access the qualifications.The Department also announced on 26 May 2022 that the School-Led Development Trust would establish the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT). The NIoT will be an exemplary provider of our teacher development programmes, including NPQs and the National Leaders of Education programmes, ensuring high quality support to struggling and vulnerable schools by raising standards and building their leadership capacity. It will also utilise cutting-edge research and disseminate best practice to further improve the quality of teacher and leadership training nationwide.

Department for Education: Discrimination

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many allegations of discriminatory behaviour in the workplace were made in respect of each of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act in (a) the Department for Education, (b) Ofqual and (c) Ofsted in each of the last five years.

Jonathan Gullis: The number of allegations made in respect of each of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 in the Department are listed in the following table:  201720182019202020212022*TotalDisability>5>5>5>5>5616Race0>5>58>5016Age0006>509Sex0000>5>53Gender0000>50>5religion0000>50>5Total>5>551514746 *until 2 July 2022 Details where the total number of allegations, complainants, and outcomes are five or fewer are withheld under section 40(2) of the Equality Act that relates to Personal Information. This is because releasing the numbers may potentially lead to the identification of individual(s). No records are held centrally for Ofqual and Ofsted.

Schools: Buildings

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to next hold discussions with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) other Ministers in the Treasury on the physical condition of the school estate in England.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department engages regularly with His Majesty’s Treasury on a number of matters, including capital investment in the school estate. This includes official level and ministerial level engagement where appropriate.Well-maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. The Department has allocated over £13 billion in capital funding since 2015, for improving the condition of the school estate, including £1.8 billion in the 2022/2023 financial year. In addition, the Department’s school rebuilding programme will transform 500 schools over the next decade.

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the funding raised through the Soft Drink Industry Levy (SDIL) has been spent in each year since it was introduced on either (a) sport and physical education in schools and (b) healthy breakfast clubs for school children; and how much of the income from the SDIL in (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms has been spent on (A) sport and physical education in schools, (B) healthy breakfast clubs for school children and (C) other purposes broken down by (1) capital and (2) revenue spending.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the income raised through the Soft Drink Industry Levy has been spent in each (a) region of England, (b) local authority in England and (c) parliamentary constituency in England in each year since 2018.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has (a) commissioned, (b) received and (c) published a report on the outcomes of spending in England’s schools of income raised through the Soft Drink Industry Levy; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Gullis: The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) came into effect in April 2018 with the aim of tackling childhood obesity by encouraging suppliers to reduce the sugar content of drinks. The Government has not commissioned a report on the use of the SDIL, and its revenues are not formally linked to any individual spending programme, but the Government has supported activity to promote childhood health and wellbeing.The Department’s budgets were increased to allow for the doubling of the PE and sport premium to £320 million from the 2017/18 academic year. The Department has since maintained it at that level to support primary schools to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of their PE, sport and physical activity provision.Details of how the PE and sport premium is allocated can be found here:School-level allocations are available at: https://skillsfunding.service.gov.uk/single-funding-statement/latest/start.Allocations from previous years are on the National Archives’ website: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search/result/?q=pe+and+sport+premium.The Department also offered the £100 million healthy pupils capital fund in 2018/19. This was a one-year fund. Allocations for each local authority and multi-academy trust, who were eligible to receive a direct allocation, were published in March 2018.Details are available here: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20190212204720/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-allocations.Details of successful healthy pupils capital fund projects funded through the Condition Improvement Fund have been published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2018-to-2019-outcome.Funding of nearly £22 million was allocated between 2017 and 2019 through an essential life skills (ELS) programme, to enable disadvantaged children and young people living in some of the most deprived parts of the country to participate in regular extra-curricular activities. The ELS programme targeted disadvantaged children and young people aged 5-18, across 12 Opportunity Areas. Areas received £7.95 million in 2017/18 and £13.8 million in 2018/19.Details of the grants are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/essential-life-skills-grant-s31-grant-determination-and-letters.The Department invested up to £35 million to fund the national schools breakfast programme over 3 years from March 2018. The Government is committed to continuing support for school breakfast clubs. We are investing up to £24 million to continue our national programme until the end of the summer term in 2023. This funding will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas, meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free, nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment, wellbeing, and readiness to learn.

Schools: Carbon Dioxide

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the (a) effectiveness, (b) efficiency and (c) impact on (i) students, (ii) learning and the (iii) workforce of the roll out of carbon dioxide monitoring equipment in English schools in winter 2021; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department has not made an assessment on the effectiveness, efficiency or impact on students, learning and the workforce on the rollout of CO2 monitors.On 10 December 2021, the department invited 36,493 settings to participate in a survey to evaluate how the CO2 monitors were being used.More information about the evaluation and its findings can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1086631/FINAL_ACU_CO2_Evaluation_30_June_2022.pdf.

Ministry of Justice

Wandsworth Prison: Postal Services

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to HMP Wandsworth restricting prisoner’s postal services to Moonpig and Funky Pigeon, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of restrictions on postal services on prisoner’s families finances during the cost of living crisis.

Rob Butler: HMP Wandsworth does not currently restrict postal services to Moonpig and Funky Pigeon. Any decisions to apply restrictions to communications are made locally by assessing the level of risk against what is a proportionate and necessary response to that risk.HMP Wandsworth has seen an increased ingress of illegal substances through the postal system – this unfortunately is a developing area of conveyance in several of our prison establishments, notably Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists (SCRA) commonly known as ‘Spice’. HMP Wandsworth ensures all mail that does not test as positive for Spice is issued to prisoners.To address this, prisons that identify SCRA as an issue have implemented several countermeasures which in some cases include the use of photocopying domestic mail and greetings cards in line with the national policy.An assessment has not been made of the impact of restrictions on postal services on prisoner’s families.

Ministry of Justice: Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many young people aged eighteen or younger have undertaken work experience in his Department in the last 12 months; and what proportion of those young people were (a) girls and (b) boys from state schools.

Rachel Maclean: The Ministry of Justice’s Social Mobility Programme provides work experience placements for students aged under 18 from less privileged backgrounds, targeting state schools that have more than 20% of students receiving free school meals. Under the programme, the Ministry of Justice also provides a number of placements for students over 18 from less privileged backgrounds.MoJ has provided a total of 1,297 placements since 2017; gender information was not collected prior to 2021.Social Mobility Programme - Calendar year Sep 21 – Aug 22Placement 01 September 2021 – 31 August 202213818 and under83Over 1840No data15 TotalPercentageFemale8562%Male2518%Identify in another way21%No data2619%Additionally, the Department delivers a number of Civil Service internship schemes and participation rates for the schemes have been provided for 2021 and 2022 intakes below. These schemes are for individuals over the age of 18:Internship2021 intake2022 intakeSummer Diversity Internship Programme (SDIP) & SDiP for Digital, Data and Technology (SDIP DDaT)5119 (14 SDiP, 5 SDiP DDaT)Early Diversity Internship ProgrammeN/A19DfE Care Leavers103 (1 awaiting vetting)Launch (MoJ Care Leavers)N/AN/A (numbers available in November)Movement to Work100To ascertain whether the Department (including all 34 agencies and public bodies) has provided work experience placements for students aged 18 or younger in the last 12 months, in addition to the MoJ Social Mobility Programme and Internship Schemes, will exceed the proscribed costs limit.

Wandsworth Prison: Postal Services

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to HMP Wandsworth restricting prisoner’s postal services to Moonpig and Funky Pigeon, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding this policy this to include other affordable card companies.

Rob Butler: An assessment has not been made, nor does HMPPS endorse the use of any specific internet-based company for cards, photographs or letters nor has HMPPS entered into any exclusive agreements with the companies mentioned. HMP Wandsworth does not currently restrict postal services to Moonpig and Funky Pigeon.

Prisons: Postal Services

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to HMP Wandsworth restricting prisoner’s postal services to Moonpig and Funky Pigeon, whether any other prisons in the UK are subject to similar restrictions.

Rob Butler: HMP Wandsworth does not currently restrict postal services to Moonpig and Funky Pigeon. Data of postal services restrictions within prisons is not collected and retained nationally.

County Courts: Standards

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of backlogs at County Courts; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in hearing cases.

Gareth Johnson: The civil courts play a crucial role in ensuring citizens have access to justice and in supporting the economy and growth. The Government is committed to resolving cases quickly and improving timeliness in our courts, ensuring that claims are dealt with appropriately and proportionately according to their complexity and value.£1.3 billion has been invested to transform the justice system; introducing 21st Century technology and online services to increase access to justice and improve efficiency. We will spend a further £324 million over the next three years to improve timeliness in civil and family courts and tribunals. We are maximising the number of sitting days utilised across the civil jurisdiction and that appropriate administrative, and staffing is in place.The Ministry of Justice is also taking forward proposals to ensure the early and consensual resolution of disputes where appropriate, ensuring that court resources are focused on cases that require a judgment.Since May 2021, for example, over 300,000 claims for low-value road traffic accident personal injury claims have been made on the online Official Injury Claim service run by the Motor Insurance Bureau for the Ministry of Justice. We are also currently consulting on Increasing the use of mediation in the civil justice system, including proposing the introduction of compulsory mediation for all defended small claims.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1093682/mediation-consultation-web.pdf. These reforms mean a large number of cases will potentially be resolved outside the formal court process reducing both throughput and backlogs in our courts.

Crown Court: Coronavirus

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog of cases in the Crown Court caused by the covid-19 outbreak.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an estimate of how long it will take to reduce the backlog of Crown Court cases caused by the covid-19 outbreak.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the average waiting times for bringing cases to the Crown Court.

Gareth Johnson: Over the next three years, we are investing an additional £477 million to reduce the Crown Court backlog and reduce waiting times.To increase capacity in the criminal justice system, we have removed the limit on sitting days in the Crown Court for the second year in a row, extended 30 Nightingale courtrooms beyond the end of March 2022 and are extending our plans for judicial recruitment. We also reduced demand into the Crown Court by legislating to retain more cases in the Magistrates’ Courts. These actions will deliver swifter justice for victims and reduce the backlog of cases.At the Spending Review in September 2021, we stated our ambition to reduce the outstanding caseload to 53,000 by March 2025.From the second half of 2021 onwards, we started to make some progress in reducing the caseload, reducing the backlog by over 2,000 from its pandemic-induced peak of 61,000 in June 2021 to 58,700 in March 2022.

Mental Capacity: Children and Young People

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people under the age of 18 were subject to a Deprivation of Liberty Order authorised by the Family Division of the High Court in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year between 2017-18 and 2021-22.

Gareth Johnson: There is no published data on this. His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) started collecting data on 4 July 2022 when the new national Deprivation of Liberty court went live.

Nursultan Nazarbayev

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect on UK media freedom policy of the use by Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan of libel actions against UK journalists in English courts.

Gareth Johnson: The government is committed to a free and independent media. The Ministry of Justice is currently developing reforms regarding the challenges which Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) present to journalists and others involved in freedom of expression relating to the public interest. Our recent Call for Evidence response, published on 20 July, sets out the Government’s intention to tackle SLAPPs.

Employment Tribunals Service

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion employment tribunal awards paid in each year since 2010 were paid (a) in full via a single instalment and (b) in part via multiple instalments

Rachel Maclean: The information requested is not held centrally.

Employment Tribunals Service

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many employment tribunal awards were paid in full within (a) one, (b) three, (c) six, (d) 12 and (e) more than 12 months in employment tribunal cases commenced in each year between 2010 to 2020.

Rachel Maclean: The information requested is not held centrally.

Employment Tribunals Service

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many employment tribunal claims resulted in awards for employees between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2020.

Rachel Maclean: The information requested for the period between 2010 to 2018 is not held centrally due to GDPR rules.The information requested for the period between 2019 and 2020 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Justice: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for his Departmental staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by his Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Rachel Maclean: This information is not held centrally. Proceedings under the Equality Act 2010 are brought against individual Government departments, or the employing public sector body.

Treasury

Business: Closures

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many high street businesses in (a) England and (b) Battersea constituency have closed each year in the last five years; and whether the Government has plans to make changes to the business rates system.

Richard Fuller: The most recent review of Business Rates concluded at Autumn Budget 2021. The review reaffirmed the importance of business rates for raising revenue for essential local services and announced a £7 billion package of measures including a new temporary 50 per cent relief for retail, hospitality, and leisure in 2022-23, freezing the multiplier for another year, and extending schemes to support small businesses. Business rates raise over £25 billion a year in England to fund vital local services. The Government is not able to release the specific information requested due to contractual agreements with data providers. The Government keeps all taxes under review. Any future decisions regarding the tax system will be taken in line with the normal Budget process.

Shipping: Inflation

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential relationship between the cost of shipping containers on international routes and domestic inflation rates.

Andrew Griffith: Record energy prices and supply chain pressures (including shipping costs) have driven inflation up globally. Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation was at a near 40-year high of 9.9% in August. Price pressures have become more widespread since March, with a broader range of items in the CPI basket of goods and services seeing increases that exceed the headline 2% CPI inflation target. Shipping cost increases have been caused by a combination of pressures from increased demand for goods and from logistical issues impeding shipping from adequately addressing elevated demand - such as port closures, congestion, and operational efficiency. These pressures and resulting elevated shipping prices continue to ease from their post pandemic peaks but remain elevated compared to historical averages.

Fiscal Policy: Cost of Living

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department’s fiscal policies on the cost of living.

Richard Fuller: The Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of living and has taken decisive action to get households and businesses through this winter and the next, while ensuring action is fiscally responsible. The Energy Price Guarantee means that a typical UK household will pay no more than £2500 a year on their energy bill over the next 2 years. While the Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide support for businesses, charities, and public sector organisations. These measures will save the average household around £1000 a year from October, and protect businesses from soaring energy costs, providing them with the certainty they need to plan through the acute crisis this winter. In addition to this support for energy costs, the Government has already announced £37 billion of targeted support for the cost of living this financial year. This will provide millions of the most vulnerable households with £800 support through the £150 Council Tax rebate and a one-off £650 Cost of Living Payment, with additional support for pensioners and those claiming disability benefits. As part of the Growth Plan, the Chancellor announced the reversal of the 1.25 percentage point increase in National Insurance from November, and a cut in the basic rate of Income Tax to 19 per cent from April 2023. These tax cuts will put money back into people’s pockets as well as fuelling economic growth. The Chancellor has been clear that growth is the only sustainable way of increasing living standards for all.

Food: Packaging

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of whether (a) food packaging producers, (b) food manufacturers and (c) food and drink retailers have passed on the costs of the plastic packaging tax to consumers; and if he will make a statement.

Felicity Buchan: The Plastic Packaging Tax was introduced on 1 April 2022 to tackle the pressing global issue of plastic waste. The tax applies to importers and manufacturers of plastic packaging and provides an economic incentive to use more recycled plastic in packaging. If businesses that are liable for the tax choose to pass the cost down to consumers, the Government expects the impact of the tax on consumer prices to be small as plastic packaging typically makes up a very small amount of the total cost of goods. Further details on the impact of the tax have been published in a Tax Information and Impact Note: www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-plastic-packaging-tax-from-april-2022/introduction-of-plastic-packaging-tax-2021(opens in a new tab) All taxes are kept under review.

Fossil Fuels: Subsidies

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential effect of allowing investment expenditure under the Energy (Oil and Gas) Profits Levy Act 2022 as a subsidy, under the provisions of the Subsidy Control Act 2022, on (a) the levels of future oil and gas production and (b) tax revenues.

Felicity Buchan: The Government does not consider the Energy Profit Levy’s investment allowance for investment expenditure to be a subsidy under the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

Treasury: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for staff in (a) his Department, and (b) HM Revenue and Customs regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by his Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Felicity Buchan: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Fuels: Excise Duties

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of the five pence per litre reduction in fuel duty in March 2022 on (a) road haulage companies, (b) coach companies and (c) private consumers.

Felicity Buchan: The temporary 12-month fuel duty cut represents a tax cut worth around £2.4 billion for households and businesses in 2022-23. Further information, including average savings for drivers, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-cut-to-fuel-duty/spring-statement-2022-fuel-duty-factsheet

Treasury: Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many young people aged eighteen or younger have undertaken work experience in his Department in the last 12 months.

Felicity Buchan: HM Treasury is committed to fairness and, in particular, the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. In the last 12 months, 25 young people, aged between 16-18, participated in a week of work experience via the Department’s formal annual programme.

UK Emissions Trading Scheme: Trade Competitiveness

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UK Emissions Trading Scheme does not disadvantage British industry internationally.

Felicity Buchan: Carbon pricing is an efficient tool for promoting decarbonisation and the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will play a role in helping the UK achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. As the UK transitions to a Net Zero economy, the Government recognises the importance of addressing the risk of carbon leakage. Carbon leakage is the displacement of domestic production, and its associated emissions due to different levels of carbon pricing and climate regulations across jurisdictions. A proportion of allowances under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), worth several billion pounds a year at current prices, are already allocated for free to businesses at risk of carbon leakage to reduce their exposure to the carbon price. The UK ETS Authority recently consulted on the development of the UK ETS including on setting an appropriate cap consistent with net zero by 2024, expanding carbon pricing to more sectors of the economy, and a proposal to ensure that there are no reductions to industry’s free allocations before 2026 at the earliest. The best solution to carbon leakage would be for all countries to move together in the pricing and regulation of carbon emissions. However, international solutions will take time to develop, and so government is considering options for new domestic action in parallel. Earlier this year, the Government announced its intention to consult on a range of carbon leakage mitigation options to ensure both the integrity of UK action to reduce its carbon emissions and that UK businesses are not disadvantaged. This will include whether measures such as product standards and a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) could be appropriate tools in the UK’s policy mix.

Pay

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of labour on levels of pay.

Chris Philp: Labour demand remains strong. The unemployment rate fell to 3.6% in the three months to July, its lowest rate since 1974. Redundancies are close to record lows, 40% below pre-pandemic levels.The latest data indicates that nominal pay growth was 5.5% in three months to July.There are now more vacancies (up 54% on pre-pandemic levels) than unemployed people for the first time. The Growth Plan announces measures to get more people back into work which, together with the agenda to boost productivity, will drive higher employment, wages and economic growth.

Tax Credits Ltd: Complaints

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints under process by HMRC relate to Tax Credits Ltd.

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the average amount of time it takes for HMRC to resolve complaints related to Tax Credits Ltd.

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the average amount of time it took for a complaint related to Tax Credits Ltd being submitted to HMRC to receive a resolution.

Richard Fuller: HMRC is unable to comment on named individuals, companies, or organisations.

Shipping: Taxation

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to assess the extent of (a) domestic tax base erosion and profit shifting and (b) tax avoidance by multinational shipping companies registered in the UK.

Richard Fuller: The Government has not carried out any sector-specific assessment of the extent of base erosion and profit shifting or tax avoidance by multinational shipping enterprises. However, the UK has led on international measures to combat base erosion and profit-shifting by multinationals. In particular, the UK has played a leading role in the OECD base erosion and profit shifting project. Since 2015, the UK has introduced a number of key measures to combat multinational tax planning, including diverted profits tax, corporate interest restriction, hybrid mismatch rules, and rules dealing with offshore receipts from intangible property.

Small Businesses: Taxation

John McNally: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Making Tax Digital reforms that require separate (a) records and (b) tax return submissions for each business on people with multiple small businesses who earn below the income tax threshold; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing those people to (i) submit a single tax return and (ii) utilise only one paid software subscription for all of their businesses.

Richard Fuller: As is currently the case for Income Tax Self Assessment, taxpayers will need to maintain separate records for each business that they operate, but under Making Tax Digital (MTD) these will need to be digital. This ensures that businesses maintain accurate records to support the updates and returns they make to HMRC.  Making quarterly updates through MTD compatible software is not the same as making quarterly tax returns and no accounting or tax adjustments are needed for these updates. Taxpayers will be able to submit these updates for each business directly from their digital records through the software.   HMRC expects a range of third-party software will be available to taxpayers and that many products will cater for users with multiple business income sources.

Shipping: Tonnage Tax

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many shipping companies that qualify for tonnage tax operate container lines from UK ports.

Richard Fuller: The information requested is not available. It is not possible to identify which shipping companies qualifying for tonnage tax operate container lines from UK ports, because companies paying tonnage tax are not required to declare this information in tax returns. HMRC does publish the total number of companies paying tonnage tax in its publication on non-structural tax reliefs, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/main-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs. In 2018-19, in total 415 companies paid tonnage tax.

Media: Ukraine

Emma Hardy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT on subscriptions to Ukrainian news providers.

Richard Fuller: VAT has been designed as a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to the vast majority of goods and services, including television broadcasting services. While there are exceptions to the standard rate, these have always been strictly limited by both legal and fiscal considerations. One such exception is the zero rate on supplies of e-publications, brought into effect on 1 May 2020. This was introduced to make it clear that e-books, e-newspapers, e-magazines, and academic e-journals are entitled to the same VAT treatment as their physical counterparts. Further guidance on the application of the zero rate on e-publications, including subscriptions to e-publications, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/zero-rate-of-vat-for-electronic-publications. The Government keeps all taxes under review and welcomes representations to help inform future decisions on tax policy, as part of the tax policy making cycle and Budget process.

Rents and Stamp Duties: Cost of Living

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to introduce a freeze on (a) stamp duty holiday and (b) rents to help the cost of living.

Richard Fuller: On 23 September 2022, the Chancellor announced a permanent cut to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). The Government has increased the nil-rate threshold for residential SDLT from £125,000 to £250,000 as part of the Growth Plan. The nil-rate threshold for first-time buyers has also been increased from £300,000 to £425,000. The maximum property value for which First Time Buyers Relief can be claimed increased from £500,000 to £625,000. The Government keeps all taxes under review. The Government does not support the introduction of rent controls in the private rented sector to set the level of rent at the outset of a tenancy.

Shipping: Taxation

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to introduce a windfall tax on the profits of container shipping companies operating from the UK.

Richard Fuller: The Government currently has no plans to introduce new windfall taxes on businesses operating from the UK.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Equatorial Guinea: Elections

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of disputes in Equatorial Guinea in relation to the timing of presidential elections in that country; and whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in that country on (a) the (i) freedom, (ii) fairness and (iii) peacefulness of elections and (b) the protection of human rights during elections.

Gillian Keegan: It is for the people of Equatorial Guinea to choose their government through free and fair elections. We have stressed the importance of independent election monitoring for credible and inclusive elections in our engagement with the government and the importance of Equatorial Guinea meeting its international and domestic obligations. The UK Government set out our concerns and recommendations in our public response to the most recent Universal Period Review.https://www.gov.uk/government/news/universal-periodic-review-33-equatorial-guinea

Mali: Armed Conflict

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of reports of a massacre of civilians by forces including Wagner group mercenaries in Gouni in the Mopti region of Mali on 17-18 September 2022.

Gillian Keegan: We are aware of reports of civilian killings in Gouni by the Malian Armed Forces and Russian-backed Wagner mercenaries. The UK is monitoring the situation in Mali closely, together with international partners. The former Minister for Africa [Vicky Ford] condemned reports of civilian massacres and human rights violations and abuses in August. She also called for transparent and impartial investigations including by the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSMA) and reiterated the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law during counterterrorism operations. The UK is committed to supporting the people of Mali. We are supporting the delivery of humanitarian and protection assistance to those most in need. Ultimately, we know that long term stability in Mali will only come from addressing the root causes of conflict, including governance.

Cape Verde: Food

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of rising food prices on the (a) economy and (b) society of Cabo Verde.

Gillian Keegan: Cape Verde is experiencing record levels of food insecurity and in June 2022 the Government of the Republic of Cabo Verde announced a social and economic emergency. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation predicts that without urgent intervention, rising food prices risk having a severe impact on local agricultural production, livestock and the livelihoods of rural communities.The UK is working with the international community to support countries affected by food insecurity. We played a leading role in securing the World Bank's commitment of $36 billion of finance for food security and supported the African Development Bank's new $1.5 billion emergency facility to boost food production.

Africa: Ebola

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with international counterparts to help support improved access to the mAb114 and REGN-EB3 monoclonal antibody treatments for those infected with Ebola in Africa.

Gillian Keegan: The FCDO works in partnership with other government departments and international partners to increase access to prevention, diagnostic and treatment tools for existing and novel infectious diseases in Africa. We were at the forefront of the international response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014 and 2015. More recently, we have mobilised rapid support to respond to smaller outbreaks, including the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2020 through our Tackling Deadly Diseases in Africa programme, and our partners on the ground are currently monitoring the Ebola outbreak in Uganda. We support African-led efforts in partnership with African institutions such as the Africa Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organization (WHO) AFRO.The UK supported the development of the Ebola vaccine which has helped bring several outbreaks under control, including the outbreak in DRC in 2018. At present, the WHO and the US National Institute for Health lead on clinical trials for new Ebola treatments. Our focus is on ensuring equitable access to effective treatments, diagnostics and vaccines in African countries once approved by the WHO through our long-term commitment to health system strengthening and support to major global health initiatives.

Central Africa and West Africa: Monkeypox

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help (a) West and (b) Central African countries with the (i) testing for and (ii) treatment of monkeypox.

Gillian Keegan: The FCDO is leading coordination of the cross-government international response to the monkeypox virus (MPX). Through our multilateral and bilateral health programmes, working closely with the World Health Organization, we have been supporting Ministries of Health in partner countries to strengthen their preparedness, prevention and response, including through strengthened surveillance, contact-tracing and case management.To help strengthen testing, the UK is funding partners such as the Wellcome Trust to support a network of UK and international institutions on research into monkeypox antiviral testing and treatments in selected countries, including in West and Central Africa. To help strengthen treatment, we are supporting the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team, in partnership with Oxford University, to work with Nigeria CDC to understand the clinical features and outcomes of MPX in Nigeria and develop effective care and management strategies. They are also supporting laboratory system strengthening,and we continue to share UK surveillance data and experience on monkeypox to inform the global response.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the activities of the Libyan National Army faction led by Khalifa Haftar on the security of (a) Chad, (b) Niger, (c) Mali, and (d) Sudan in the last 5 years.

Gillian Keegan: We recognise the impact of ongoing instability in Libya on neighbouring countries, including the threat to peace and security arising from the flow of armed groups and mercenaries, as evidenced by the Chadian FACT (Front for Change and Concord in Chad) offensive on N'Djamena in April 2021. We have consistently demanded full compliance with the UN arms embargo on Libya and called for the full implementation of the 23 October 2020 ceasefire agreement as set out in UN Security Council Resolution 2570 including the withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries, such as the Russian Wagner Group, without delay. Only a peaceful, secure and prosperous sovereign Libya can enable long-term stability across North Africa and the Sahel.

Burundi: Politics and Government

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the appointment of Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca on efforts to bring accountability, peace and security to Burundi.

Gillian Keegan: The UK Government welcomes the Government of Burundi's stated commitment to improving the human rights situation and recent steps taken which demonstrate this, including prisoner releases and engagement with some media outlets. However, the UK Government monitors reports of human rights violations and abuses being committed against the political opposition and critical voices. We regularly discuss a range of issues including human rights at a senior level with the Government of Burundi, most recently this week when our non-resident Ambassador to Burundi visited the country. We continue to call on all members of the Government of Burundi to ensure that Burundi develops along a positive trajectory despite the current economic hardship the country is facing.We do not speculate about future sanctions designations.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the progress of the Ethiopian Government’s Inter-Ministerial Task Force in addressing the human rights violations and abuses documented in the joint report published by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 3 November 2021.

Gillian Keegan: We have welcomed the establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force by the Government of Ethiopia to respond to the findings of the Joint Investigation by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Earlier this year, our Embassy in Addis Ababa provided technical support to Inter-Ministerial Task Force investigators and prosecutors from Addis Ababa, Amhara, and Afar on the Murad Code to support safe and ethical investigations of Conflict Related Sexual Violence. Our Embassy in Addis Ababa will continue to work with the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce to encourage effective action to provide accountability and justice for human rights violations in Ethiopia.

Burundi: Human Rights

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of protections against (i) torture, (ii) arbitrary arrest, (iii) extra-judicial killings and (iv) enforced disappearances in Burundi and (b) trends in the levels of accountability for human rights violations in that country; and when his Department last assessed the potential merits of targeted sanction designations against individuals in Burundi.

Gillian Keegan: The UK Government welcomes the Government of Burundi's stated commitment to improving the human rights situation and recent steps taken which demonstrate this, including prisoner releases and engagement with some media outlets. However, the UK Government monitors reports of human rights violations and abuses being committed against the political opposition and critical voices. We regularly discuss a range of issues including human rights at a senior level with the Government of Burundi, most recently this week when our non-resident Ambassador to Burundi visited the country. We continue to call on all members of the Government of Burundi to ensure that Burundi develops along a positive trajectory despite the current economic hardship the country is facing.We do not speculate about future sanctions designations

Myanmar: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) UK diplomats and (b) locally employed staff are based at the British Embassy in Myanmar as of 2 September 2022.

Jesse Norman: FCDO UK Based staffFCDO CBS Staff10-19100-119

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the mandate of the UN’s International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia.

Gillian Keegan: The UK is a strong supporter of the work of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE), which plays a vital role in ensuring accountability for victims and survivors of the conflict. We co-sponsored the resolution mandating its creation at the Special Session of the Human Rights Council in December 2021. We will be strongly supporting the renewal of the Commission's mandate at the forthcoming 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council, as made clear in the statement delivered by the UK's Ambassador for Human Rights on 22 September. We are urging all parties to facilitate its investigations, for the Ethiopian Government to cooperate with the Commission, and to support the extension of its mandate at this session.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact on regional security of escalating military tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of September 2022 and following the conclusion of the Nagorno Karabakh War.

Leo Docherty: The UK Government condemns the recent violence along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In calls with Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov on 15 and 17 September respectively, I reinforced the need for a cessation of hostilities and a return to substantive negotiations to settle all outstanding matters between the parties. The United Kingdom will continue to work with both parties in the coming months to support efforts to secure regional stability and security.

Janildo Oliveira Guajajara

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Brazilian counterpart on the death of Janildo Oliveira Guajajara, a member of the Guardiões da Floresta collective.

Jesse Norman: I was appalled to learn of the death of Janildo Oliveira Guajajara on 3 September. The UK Embassy in Brazil regularly engages with government departments, indigenous leaders and civil society organisations in Brazil to discuss indigenous rights and raise our concerns about the security and human rights situation in the Amazon.Earlier this month, FCDO officials in London met with Olimpio Guajajara, a leader of the Guardiões da Floresta collective, who spoke of the devastating impact of illegal logging and deforestation on his community.Following the deaths of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira, the Brazilian Senate published a report which recognises the escalating security situation in the Amazon. Embassy representatives discussed the report and possible ways to cooperate on addressing environmental crime and its impact on indigenous communities with a Senate member in August.

Christianity: Females

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report by Aid to the Church in Need entitled Hear Her Cries; and what progress his Department has made on studying its contents.

Leo Docherty: We have taken note of Aid to the Church in Need's report entitled "Hear Her Cries"; and we recognise that women and girls from religious or belief minority communities can suffer disproportionally because of both their gender and faith. Our human rights policy work considers the multiple ways in which human rights interact, for example the importance of addressing issues such as child, early and forced marriage and forced conversion experienced by some women and girls from religious or belief minority communities.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what relationship her Department has with the National Unity Government from Myanmar; and if she will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: We continue to work closely with the National Unity Government (NUG) and a range of other pro-democracy actors. The NUG is an important voice for many people in Myanmar and we strongly support all those calling for a return to democracy. The former Minister for Asia met with Dr Zaw Wai Soe, the NUG's Minister for Health and Education on 24th May. Dr Zaw Wai Soe also met with another minister, parliamentarians and officials during his trip to the UK. During the meetings we emphasised the UK's condemnation of the coup and highlighted our ongoing efforts to respond to the crisis. The former Minister for Asia also spoke to Daw Zin Mar Aung, the NUG's Foreign Minister on 7 March. We will continue to support those who are helping to protect civic space and human rights to sustain the foundations for democracy and build a common vision for the future.

Jamaica: Embassies

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff worked at the British High Commission in Kingston, Jamaica in each year since 2016.

Gillian Keegan: Number of permanent staffQuestion RefLocationMarch 2016March 2017March 2018March 2019March 2020March 2021March 202246081 a)Kingston50-5940-4940-4950-5940-4940-4950-59

Tibet: Human Rights

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his Chinese counterpart on the human rights implications of the mass collection of DNA from (a) children and (b) other people in Tibet.

Jesse Norman: We have noted the recent reports of mass DNA collection in Tibet, which we have discussed with NGOs. We continue to urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the People's Republic of China, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party. On 14 June, a concerted UK lobbying effort helped to secure the support of a record 47 countries for a statement at the Human Rights Council that highlighted the human rights situation in Tibet and called on China to comply with obligations with regard to the protection of human rights.

UN Central Emergency Response Fund: Finance

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department contributed to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund in (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22; and how much his Department plans to contribute in 2022-23.

Leo Docherty: The UK is a longstanding partner to the CERF and is its largest overall donor, contributing more than $1.7 billion to the fund since its inception in 2006. Funding contributed for financial years 2020-21 was £63.5 million, 2021-22 was £52 million and 22-23 was £52 million.

Sri Lanka: Armed Forces

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of imposing sanctions on (a) the Sri Lankan Chief of Defence Staff, Shavendra Silva, and (b) other members of the Sri Lankan military.

Jesse Norman: We keep the situation in Sri Lanka under close review, including in relation to human rights and accountability. Within this, the government keeps under active consideration how to use the diplomatic tools we have including sanctions.The UK's Global Human Rights Sanctions regime gives the UK Government a powerful mechanism to hold accountable those involved in serious human rights violations or abuses and to send a clear signal of the values we hold.The UK Government continues to consider designations globally, guided by evidence and the objectives of the human rights sanctions regime; but it is not appropriate to speculate on potential future designations, in order to avoid reducing their impact.

Ministry of Defence

Defence: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department audit claims made by prime contractors on social value which are bidding for MOD contracts.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Ministry of Defence evaluates suppliers' social value proposals as part of the tender process and in accordance with published scoring criteria. The winning tenderer's social value obligations are subsequently monitored and managed throughout the life of the contract as part of the contract management process.

Veterans: Reserve Forces

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of UK Regular Armed Forces who left the (a) Royal Air Force, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Army joined the UK Reserve Force in each year since 2010.

Sarah Atherton: The requested information is provided in the attached table.UK Armed Forces Recruitment Statistics (xlsx, 18.9KB)

Qatar: Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Qatari Armed Forces personnel will receive training provided by the Counter Terrorism Search Capacity Building for the Qatar Armed Forces contract.

James Heappey: A total of nine Officers and 18 Other Ranks will receive CT Search training as part of the contract. This will enable the QAF to deploy effective Search Teams.

ISSEE: Contracts

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has previously awarded contracts to ISSEE Limited, following the decision to award them the Counter Terrorism Search Capacity Building for the Qatar Armed Forces contract.

James Heappey: ISSEE Ltd has previously been awarded Ministry of Defence contracts supporting overseas capacity building programmes in Somalia (2021), Azerbaijan (2022) and Pakistan (2022). All these contracts were delivered through the Counter-Explosive Ordnance Defence Engagement Office following competition using the FCDO Services Framework of Suppliers.

Qatar: Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel from his Department will be sent to Qatar as part of the Counter Terrorism Search Capacity Building for the Qatar Armed Forces contract between 15 September 2022 and 31 March 2023.

James Heappey: Two members of the Counter-Explosive Ordnance Defence Engagement Office will deploy 10-14 Oct 22 to provide assurance of contract delivery.

Qatar: Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the purpose of the Counter Terrorism Search Capacity Building is for the Qatar Armed Forces contract.

James Heappey: The purpose is to increase Qatar Armed Forces Counter Explosive Ordnance capacity through the development of an enduring Counter Terrorism Search capability in readiness for World Cup 2022.

Qatar: Football

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with officials at FIFA regarding his Department’s contribution to security at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

James Heappey: I have not held discussions with FIFA Officials at any point, discussions relating to UK support to world cup security have been via UK Defence to Qatari Defence. Our support is to the Qatari Armed Forces for the purpose of delivering a safe and secure tournament.

Qatar: Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Counter Terrorism Search Capacity Building for the Qatar Armed Forces contract was created following a request from the government of Qatar.

James Heappey: The contract was created following a request from the government of Qatar.

Qatar: Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the government of Qatar is compensating his Department for the Counter Terrorism Search Capacity Building for the Qatar Armed Forces contract.

James Heappey: The Ministry of Defence is covering the cost of the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Training & Advice in the region of £500,000. This cost will not be compensated.

Ministry of Defence: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for his Departmental staff on their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by his Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Sarah Atherton: Training on a range of Diversity and Inclusion topics for civilians and Military Personnel is well-established, for both new entrants and as annually mandated refresher training. The Ministry of Defence incorporates the precepts of the Equality Act 2010 into its mandatory training for both its civilian and military personnel. As records are not held by the Ministry of Defence in such a manner to readily identify where Section 109 proceedings were cited, we are unable to provide the number of occasions where it was cited as a defence since the Act's commencement without incurring disproportionate cost.

F-35 Aircraft: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart on the potential impact of the Pentagon’s suspension of F-35 deliveries on the UK’s order of F-35 jets.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Ministry of Defence has been fully engaged with the United States Government regarding the temporary pause in the deliveries of F-35 Lightning aircraft.

F-35 Aircraft: Components

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the security of British F-35s due to reports in the US that raw materials used for a component in that jet were produced in China.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Ministry of Defence's assessment is there are no security implications for the UK's F-35 Lightning Fleet arising from the use of raw materials that are non-compliant with the United States Government's acquisition regulations.

F-35 Aircraft: Components

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he was first informed that F-35 jets contained materials produced in China.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Ministry of Defence was informed on 6 September 2022 about the use in F-35 aircraft of raw materials that are non-compliant with the United States Government's acquisition regulations.

Ministry of Defence: Travel

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2022 to Question 47409 on Ministry of Defence: Travel, for what reason payments to Barclaycard were recorded as negative values when accounting for his Department’s total spending on travel and accommodation using electronic purchasing cards.

Alec Shelbrooke: The payments to Barclaycard are shown as negative values for accounting purposes. Payments are made under the centralised travel solution to the individual travel service providers throughout a billing period and appear on the account as positive values. At the end of the billing period, a single invoice is generated by Barclaycard to cover all card payments. When the invoice is paid, it shows on the Department's accounts as a negative value, equating to a credit.

Ministry of Defence: Travel

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2022 to Question 47409 on Ministry of Defence: Travel, whether the calculation of net spending by his Department on travel and accommodation in October 2021 using an electronic purchasing card or making payments to the electronic purchasing card provider, and minus any refunds, is (a) £3,205,631.57, (b) £8,452,486.98, or (c) £13,699,342.39.

Alec Shelbrooke: Net expenditure on travel and accommodation using an electronic purchasing card in the calendar month of October 2021 was £11,946,803. The figure of £3,205,631.57 includes credits, including the invoice payment to the card provider, Barclaycard, of £5,246,855.41.As the Ministry of Defence transparency reports on expenditure of over £500 on a Government Procurement Card cover a calendar month, whereas the card billing period runs from the fourth of the month to the third of the subsequent month, individual card payments cannot be fully reconciled with the invoice payments to Barclaycard using data for individual months.

Ministry of Defence: Travel

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2022 to Question 47409 on Ministry of Defence: Travel, how much his Department spent on travel and accommodation (a) using an electronic purchasing card and (b) by making payments to the electronic purchasing card provider excluding refunds in December 2021.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2022 to Question 47409 on Ministry of Defence: Travel, how much his Department spent on travel and accommodation (a) using an electronic purchasing card and (b) by making payments to the electronic purchasing card provider excluding refunds in February 2022.

Alec Shelbrooke: Net expenditure, excluding refunds, on travel and accommodation using an electronic purchasing card in the calendar months of December 2021 and February 2022 were £9,394,322 and £12,298,748 respectively. The above figures represent the net expenditure made through the centralised Ministry of Defence (MOD) travel solution which were paid to individual suppliers by and subsequently reimbursed to the card provider, Barclaycard. As the MOD transparency reports on expenditure of over £500 on a Government Procurement Card cover a calendar month, whereas the card billing period runs from the fourth of the month to the third of the subsequent month, individual card payments cannot be fully reconciled with the invoice payments to Barclaycard using data for individual months.

Ministry of Defence: Research

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent by his Department on research contracts in each region in the most recent financial year for which figures are available.

Alec Shelbrooke: A full breakdown of spend on research contracts by region is not centrally held and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, I am able to provide details of payments for financial year 2021-22 to suppliers for research contracted out to industry and academia by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. It should be noted that the regional analysis is based on office or billing address only and some of the work will have been subcontracted by the supplier.Payments £ (to the nearest thousand)Northern Ireland290,000Scotland5,744,000North East England972,000North West England5,549,000Yorkshire and the Humber2,959,000East Midlands4,455,000West Midlands8,188,000East of England41,501,000London14,516,000South East164,209,000South West38,520,000Wales6,721,000Total293,624,000Rest of World9,857,000 Total 303,481,000

Navy: Scotland

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2022 to Question 154058 on Clyde Naval Base and RNAD Coulport: Navy, and with reference to the Answer of 27 April 2021 to Question 184494 on Navy: Scotland, for what reason providing the information requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Alec Shelbrooke: In preparation for the answer of 21 April 2022 to Question 154058 the Department understood that a manual trawl through personnel files would be required to answer the question, which resulted in a disproportionate cost response. A different methodology was used for the answer in April 2021 and using that same approach I am now able to provide the following information in answer to the hon. Member's Questions 154058, 154059 and 154060 of 14 April 2022.At 1 April 2022, a total of 3,751 uniformed Royal Navy Service Personnel were stationed at locations in Argyll and Bute, which comprise the Faslane and Coulport sites. Of these, 1,367 personnel were Scottish taxpayers, which translates to 36% of the total.At 1 April 2022, 534 uniformed contractors were employed at Faslane. Of these, 478 were Scottish taxpayers, which translates to 90% of the total.At 1 April 2022, 409 uniformed contractors were employed at Coulport. Of these, 364 were Scottish taxpayers, which translates to 89% of the total.These figures reflect Ministry of Defence Police and Ministry of Defence Guard Service employees, who are Ministry of Defence civilian employees. The term 'uniformed contractor' has been translated to mean those employees who are neither civilian contractor, non-uniform civilian, or Service Personnel.At 1 April 2022, 1,026 civilian employees who are not contractors were employed at Faslane. Of these, 942 were Scottish taxpayers, which translates to 92% of the total.At 1 April 2022, 479 civilian employees who are not contractors were employed at Coulport. Of these, 434 were Scottish taxpayers, which translates to 91% of the total.

Trident: International Law

Joanna Cherry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the article in Pécs Journal of International and European Law entitled UK Nuclear Deterrence Policy and International Law: Terrorism with Impunity, published on 15 December 2021; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Ben Wallace: That article raises questions about domestic and international terrorism laws. Ministry of Defence officials have reviewed it and strongly disagree with its analysis. I can assure the House the UK’s nuclear deterrent is fully compliant and compatible with both our domestic and international legal obligations. The Government considers that offences created by the Terrorism Act 2000 and the Terrorism Act 2006 are not engaged by the UK’s nuclear deterrence policy and rejects the assertion in the article that “most, perhaps all, military action is an offence” under terrorism legislation. As stated in the UK Integrated Review 2021, the UK would consider using its nuclear weapons only in extreme circumstances of self-defence, including the defence of its NATO Allies. The legality of any such use would depend upon the circumstances and the application of the general rules of international law, including those regulating the use of force and the conduct of hostilities.

France: Nuclear Weapons

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) original cost expectations and (b) cost expectations as at 16 September 2022 were for the TEUTATES programme.

Mr Ben Wallace: In accordance with the TEUTATES Treaty, the building, operating and dismantling costs will be shared equitably between the UK and France. I am therefore withholding the original and current costs as their release would, or would be likely to, prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and other States and constitute a breach of confidence. I am happy to offer you a classified briefing on the project.

Future Combat Air System

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Tempest Future Combat Air System Aircraft is adequately (a) supported and (b) funded to be (i) completed and (ii) delivered on time.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Integrated Review confirmed our intent to develop Future Combat Air System (FCAS) as a replacement for our Typhoon fast-jets and deliver the military capability we need to operate in highly contested environments, boost our industrial capacity and maximise our international influence. The Defence Command Paper reaffirmed that we will invest more than £2 billuion in FCAS out to 2025. This is part of a budget of over £10 billion over the next ten years, although the ultimate amount we invest will depend on key programme choices and the role that our international partners take in the programme. We are targeting an in-service date in the mid-2030s. This means significantly faster delivery than seen in previous programmes, enabled by a digital-first approach, embracing new technologies and early investment in R&D. We are currently in the Concept and Assessment phase of the programme, which is due to complete by 2025. During this phase, key work is being undertaken to define and begin design of the capability we require, invest in the skills and infrastructure needed to deliver and support it, and agree our international partnering arrangements. Team Tempest partners now have circa 2,500 people working on FCAS, with many more in the supply chain, and this number is growing.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the letter sent on 15 July 2022 by the then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to the Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, if she will take steps to publish the evaluation of benefit sanctions referred to in that letter.

Victoria Prentis: “I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN PQ W 49219”

Jobcentres: Blackpool

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what capital funding her Department has made available to facilitate the development of a new JobCentre Plus site in Blackpool.

Victoria Prentis: The Department currently has no plans to develop a new Jobcentre Plus site in Blackpool.

Children: Food and Heating

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help ensure that all children have access to adequate food and warmth at weekends.

Victoria Prentis: This Government is committed to supporting low-income families, and will spend over £242bn through the welfare system in 2022/23 of which £108bn on people of working age, mainly families with children. The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The new “Energy Price Guarantee” will mean a typical UK household will now pay up to an average £2,500 a year on their energy bill for the next two years from 1 October, saving the average household in Great Britain at least £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost-of-living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. This includes the current Household Support Fund, in England, which is already providing £421m of support for the period April – September 2022; at least a third of this (£140m) will be spent on families with children. For the same period, devolved administrations have received £79 million through the Barnett formula. For the period October 2022- March 2023, we are also providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials. This brings the total funding for this support, since October 2021, to £1.5 billion. It remains our firm belief that work is the best route out of poverty and with 1.27 million vacancies across the UK we want to support parents to move into and to progress in work wherever possible. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment - particularly where it is full-time – in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving long-term outcomes for families and children. The latest available data on in-work poverty shows that in 2019/20, children in households where all adults were in work were around six times less likely to be in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than children in a household where nobody works. In 2020/21, there were 200,000 fewer children in absolute poverty before housing costs than in 2009/10.To help parents into work, our Plan for Jobs continues to provide broad ranging support for all jobseekers. This is on top of the support already provided by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour, giving nearly 1.7 million families an extra £1,000 a year (on average) through our changes to the Universal Credit taper and work allowances; and the Universal Credit childcare offer which allows working parents to claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month (up to a maximum cap).

Employment: Blackpool

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional funding her Department has made available to support people in Blackpool into work.

Victoria Prentis: In Blackpool, all customers have access to the Plan for Jobs offer, delivering a comprehensive range of support to help people back into work. Mainstream employment support is supplemented through DWP’s local Flexible Support Funded (FSF) provision, in response to needs identified within the local community, delivering tailored support to enhance employment prospects. The local jobcentre team have the flexibility and discretion to make awards through Flexible Support Fund (FSF) that will enhance the employment prospects of the claimants and other customers with whom they are engaged. This includes single parents. Payments of FSF are discussed with the claimant on an individual basis as part of the support provided by Work Coaches on a day-to-day basis as part of the Jobcentre Plus offer. Financial assistance for childcare costs is available to eligible parents undertaking activity to move them closer to the labour market or into work. Work Coaches regularly discuss support available during their interactions with claimants which includes support available for upfront childcare costs through FSF. The jobcentre team continue to work with local employers to deliver Sector Work Based Academy Programmes (SWAPs) in various sectors including care, construction, and education. SWAP’s deliver short vocational training linked directly to vacancies within a particular employer or in a specific sector, helping customers to learn the skills and behaviours that employers in particular industries look for. In additional the team are working in partnership with local organisations including Blackpool Council, Blackpool and Fylde College, and the Blackpool Football Club Community Trust, to provide a range of employment support programmes in the community.

Universal Credit

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families are making a claim for childcare support under universal credit in (a) England and (b) the UK as on 8 September 2022; and what the average value of those claims is.

Victoria Prentis: In May 2022 there were 111,100 households receiving the childcare element of Universal Credit in England, with an average childcare element value of £326. In the UK, in May 2022 there were 133,000 families with an average childcare element value of £323. Notes:1. Figures rounded to the nearest 100 and £12. Average is calculated using the mean value of the amount of childcare element provided3. Universal Credit figures are for GB only, as DWP do not administer Universal Credit in Northern Ireland4. In line with published official stats data is only available to May 22

Universal Credit

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families in England are claiming the maximum childcare support of (a) £646 for one child or (b) £1,108 for two or more children.

Victoria Prentis: In May 2022 there were 7,200 families in England claiming the maximum childcare support for one child and 2,800 families in England claiming the maximum childcare support for two or more children. Notes:1. Figures rounded to the nearest 1002. In line with published official stats data is only available to May 22

Cost of Living Payments: Social Security Benefits

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the £650 Cost of Living Payment is available to those on income-based benefits but not those on contribution-based benefits.

Victoria Prentis: Non-means tested benefits are not qualifying benefits for the Cost-of-Living Payment in their own right because people receiving these benefits may have other financial resources available to them. The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a responsible way by targeting the £650 Cost of Living Payment support at low income means tested households where it is most needed. The guidance with the full list of support can be found at: Cost of living support - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) In addition to the new support, people on low incomes but not means-tested benefits may also benefit from previously announced measures to help people tackle the cost of living, including frozen alcohol duty and fuel duty, raising the NICs threshold, council tax rebates and the further rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 an hour from April 2022. From 1 October, a new ‘Energy Price Guarantee’ will mean a typical UK household will now pay up to an average £2,500 a year on their energy bill for the next two years. This is automatic and applies to all households. This will save the average household at least £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October and is in addition to the £400 energy bills discount for all households. This applies to all households in Great Britain, with the same level of support made available to households in Northern Ireland. From October 2022, Government is also providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, bringing the total funding for this support to £1.5 billion

Social Security Benefits: Nutrition

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to implement the National Food Strategy recommendation that the true cost of eating healthily should be calculated into benefits payments; and if she will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis: The current rates of income-related benefits such as Universal Credit do not represent a minimum requirement and are not described as such in legislation. The Government specifies the rates which are applicable to different benefits, and these may vary according to claimants' circumstances. Income-related benefit rates are not made up of separate amounts for specific items of expenditure such as food or fuel charges, and beneficiaries are free to spend their benefit as they see fit, in the light of their individual commitments, needs and preferences. The Government has expanded free school meals to more children than any other, including rolling out universal infant free school meals to all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, ensuring a further 1.25 million pupils receive a free nutritious meal each day, in addition to the 1.9m children that receive benefits related free school meals. The Holiday Activities and Food programme has been expanded to operate across all England Local Authorities, providing over £600m for the next 3 years. Last summer reaching over 600,000 children. We are investing up to £24 million into the National School Breakfast Programme, benefitting up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas, building on the previous programme. The Government also increased the value of Healthy Start Food Vouchers from £3.10 to £4.25, (children aged under one receive £8.50 in total, every week), helping eligible low-income households to buy fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables, fresh, milk and infant formula. Recipients are also eligible for free Healthy Start vitamins.

Universal Credit: Benefits Rules

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing linking rules to Universal Credit.

Victoria Prentis: No assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing linking rules to Universal Credit. Linking rules were not carried over into Universal Credit. This is because Universal Credit is a separate, simplified benefit system. Instead, each Universal Credit claim is assessed in its own right. However, Universal Credit does have a reclaims process, which provides a simple route back onto Universal Credit for claimants who experience a short break in entitlement. This process also reduces the administrative burden on claimants and encourages them to increase their earnings and protects them in periods of reduced employment.

Universal Credit

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of childcare support for families in receipt of Universal Credit.

Victoria Prentis: No such assessment has been made. In Universal Credit, working families can claim up to 85%, increased from 70% in legacy benefits, of their eligible registered childcare costs each month regardless of the hours worked. This equates to a maximum support of £646.35 per month for one child and £1,108.04 per month for two or more children. The current childcare offer is comprehensive, broad ranging and reflects different family circumstances, covering children over a range of ages. We believe that helping parents with their childcare costs is one of the best ways to help people into work, support families with the cost of living, and ensure every child has the opportunity of a high-quality early education. The UC childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes 15 hours per week free childcare for disadvantaged 2-year-olds and 3- & 4-year-olds. This doubles to 30 hours per week free childcare for working parents of 3- & 4-year-olds. The UC childcare element can be used to top up a claimant’s eligible free childcare hours if more hours are worked and childcare required. This offer means that for some claimants’ childcare costs should not present any barriers to entering work. Eligible claimants who need help to enter employment can apply for help from the Flexible Support Fund (locally managed by Jobcentres to remove challenges to entering employment) with initial up-front childcare costs. This is a non-repayable payment that will pay upfront childcare costs directly to the provider up to the first salary received.

Universal Credit: Benefits Rules

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason her Department decided not to carry over linking rules to the Universal Credit system.

Victoria Prentis: No assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing linking rules to Universal Credit. Linking rules were not carried over into Universal Credit. This is because Universal Credit is a separate, simplified benefit system. Instead, each Universal Credit claim is assessed. However, Universal Credit does have a reclaims process, which provides a simple route back onto Universal Credit for claimants who experience a short break in entitlement. This process also reduces the administrative burden on claimants and encourages them to increase their earnings and protects them in periods of reduced employment.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Public Expenditure

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total budget was for his Department in each year since 2010.

Mark Spencer: Departments’ delegated expenditure limits are set at Spending Reviews. Once changes have been made through the estimates process, final provisions for departments are published and made available through Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA). Figures for each available year can be found online in the relevant PESA.

Agriculture: Food Supply

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of grade 1 to 3A agricultural land for growing (a) biofuels and (b) animal feed on food resilience; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Spencer: The UK has a high degree of food security which is built on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 61% of all the food we need, and 74% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years. For the cereals crops that are produced domestically – such as for human consumption and animal feed – the UK is 88% self-sufficient. The first UK Food Security Report (UKFSR) was published in December 2021. The UKFSR covers food security in the widest sense from global food availability and sustainability to domestic supply chain resilience, household food security and food safety. The report describes trends in land use in the UK to have been generally stable over the past 30 years. Defra will continue to monitor these trends in light of competing pressures on land use. In 2020, 121 thousand hectares of agricultural land in the UK were used to grow crops for bioenergy. This area represents just under 2.1% of the arable land in the UK. 30% of land used for bioenergy was for biofuel (biodiesel and bioethanol) for the UK road transport market with the remainder mostly used for heat and power. Within the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation there is a cap on the total amount of crop derived biofuels that can be used. In 2022 this currently stands at 3.67% of total fuel under this scheme.The demand for biofuel crops such as wheat and sugar beet is subject to global market prices and supply. For farmers, the opportunity to sell into biofuels offers a secondary market for their surplus or lower quality crops and associated agricultural residues. Growing crops for the biofuel sector offers farmers more routes to market for their harvest and flexibility in their crop rotations. However, consideration must also be given to land biodiversity and carbon-store value.For the livestock sector, and meat production, animal feed is a vital input. Cereals and oilseeds make up a significant proportion of animal feed, many of which are grown by our great British arable farmers. Resilience for animal feed is supported by the ability to access global markets to buy and sell cereals, alongside other necessary feed ingredients.

Agriculture: Hitchin and Harpenden

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) farmers and (b) food producers in Hitchin and Harpenden constituency with extreme temperatures.

Mark Spencer: For some farmers, the hot, dry weather has had an impact on crop growth, yield and quality and has been of concern to growers in the arable and horticulture sectors. The main impacts appear to be on non-irrigated horticulture crops dependent on rainfall and the availability of grass for both grazing and conservation as winter animal feed. The impacts will vary by region, crop and soil type among other factors. It is still too soon to say with certainty the final impact of the hot and dry conditions on crops. To support farmers in the immediate term we have instructed the Environment Agency to take a flexible regulatory approach to its water abstraction decisions. Additionally, on 17 August we announced easements on Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship rules allowing farmers to cut or graze areas of land set aside in their agreements. These measures will last until the end of 2022, making it easier for farmers to provide food for livestock. We continue to keep the situation under close review and have increased engagement with industry to supplement Government analysis with real-time intelligence. This provides the Government with the best possible intelligence on how the sector is coping.

Pigmeat: Preservatives

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the production of nitrite-free (a) bacon and (b) ham in the UK.

Mark Spencer: Nitrites are an approved food additive for use in bacon and ham products. The HM Government considers that existing levels of nitrites and nitrates in food products are sufficiently protective of consumers. Where individual companies decide to use authorised alternatives to nitrites, this is ultimately a commercial decision as to what products they bring to market. Existing requirements on the control of additives in food production ensure that food is produced safely and is labelled to enable consumers to make informed choices on the food they buy and consume. The HM Government is always looking for ways to support innovation in the food industry but takes the position that intervention should be restricted only to areas where there are food safety or health concerns based on available evidence.

Whisky: Scotland

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the contribution of the Scotch whisky industry to the UK tourism sector and hospitality sector.

Mark Spencer: Whilst no specific assessment has been made by the UK Government, according to the Scotch Whisky Association, the Scotch Whisky industry continues to provide a significant contribution to the Scottish economy with sustained export values of around £4.5 billion and £5.5 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy. The 140 Scotch Whisky distilleries which operate across Scotland attracted around 2.2 million visitors in 2019, making this industry the third most popular tourist attraction. These figures demonstrate the employment opportunities that this industry provides for the UK tourist and hospitality sector.

Food Supply: Competition

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the (a) effectiveness of anti-Trust laws in ensuring global food resilience and (b) potential merits of reforming those laws; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness of anti-Trust laws in ensuring global food resilience and (b) potential merits of reforming those laws; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Spencer: The Government is committed to increasing global food resilience and is working closely with G7 partners to get support to those who need it the most, including cooperating with the rest of the G7 to build on the first G7 Famine Prevention Compact, which was agreed during the UK’s Presidency in 2021. Mergers and takeovers are primarily a commercial matter for the parties concerned. However, the Government acknowledges that there are instances when such transactions might raise public interest concerns and there is an established process for considering whether there are specific public interest reasons for Ministers to intervene in mergers under the Enterprise Act 2002.

Fishing Limits

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to upcoming fisheries negotiations with the EU, Norway and north eastern Atlantic coastal states, if the Government will make it its policy not to set catch limits for any stocks in excess of scientific advice.

Mark Spencer: The UK advocates an approach towards setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) which is founded on the best available scientific advice and which will maintain or rebuild sustainable fish stocks and fisheries.

Whisky: Scotland

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the contribution of the Scotch Whisky industry to trends in the level of UK employment.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the scotch whisky industry on levels of employment in Scotland.

Mark Spencer: Whilst no specific assessment has been made by the UK Government, according to the Scotch Whisky Association more than 11,000 people are directly employed in the Scotch Whisky industry in Scotland, and over 42,000 jobs across the UK are supported by the Scotch Whisky industry. 7,000 of these jobs are in rural areas of Scotland providing vital employment and investment opportunities to communities across the Highlands and Islands. The Scotch Whisky industry continues to provide a significant contribution to the Scottish economy, with sustained export values of around £4.5 billion, and £5.5 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy, according to industry analysis. The 140 Scotch Whisky distilleries which operate across Scotland attracted around 2.2 million visitors in 2019 making this industry the third most popular tourist attraction. In addition, 57% of distillers reported an increase in their number of staff in the past twelve months, with all respondents expecting to need to add to their workforces in the coming year. These figures outlined by the Scotch Whisky Association demonstrate the wide range of employment opportunities this industry provides to those in Scotland.

Whisky: Scotland

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of rising shipping costs on the Scotch whisky industry.

Mark Spencer: Whilst no specific assessment has been made on the impact of rising shipping costs on the Scotch Whisky industry, according to the Scotch Whisky Association nearly 40% of businesses reported shipping costs doubling in the last 12 months. Industries have reported that shipping costs have risen to a high level in international freight markets during 2021 and 2022. This is as a result of unprecedented levels of demand driven by changed consumer behaviour during the pandemic, and global operational factors that impacted capacity. This has been a worldwide impact and all types of goods using container shipping will have been affected. The operational issues have significantly improved, and market analysis by industry suggests that current demand is softening and that pricing levels have also started to decline in line with this. The UK Government is in regular dialogue with the industry and aims to provide the framework for a forwarding-thinking, competitive alcoholic drinks sector which can grow, export and innovate in line with the Government’s ambitions.

Food: Imports

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to extend the list of restricted food items that may enter the UK.

Mark Spencer: We have existing controls on personal imports from non-EU countries and certain Prohibitions and Restrictions on products of animal origin which cannot be imported into UK - the full list of restrictions can be found on GOV.UK.We also have controls governing the entry into Great Britain of “High Risk Food (and feed) of Non-Animal Origin” from certain countries. The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland review the commodities in the Regulation on a regular basis. Following a public consultation, the annexes of the regulation that governs these rules (Retained EU Regulation 2019/1793), are due to be updated in January 2023.There are procedures in place to introduce safeguard measures which can include restrictions on food items to address biosecurity risks to Great Britain. We have recently introduced new restrictions on pork and pork products from the EU entering Great Britain, as a risk-based and proportionate safeguard measure to mitigate the risk of introducing African swine fever.We have responsibilities under international treaties such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and any imported food or animal products protected by CITES needs to be accompanied by a CITES permit. We will continue to keep these under review.

Bread: Labelling

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Food Standards Agency on the use of the term (a) sourdough for bread products that do not use traditional sourdough bread-making techniques and (b) freshly baked for bread products sold in shops that that have been produced off-site.

Mark Spencer: The Food Standards Agency were part of the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations recent review of Bread and Flour Regulations. The key proposals for change are outlined in a public consultation published on 1 September 2022 which is open for responses until 23 November 2022. The Government considered the merits of requests for the inclusion of a definition for sourdough in law but is keen to avoid creating further regulatory barriers in trade at this time. The Government is therefore supportive of non-regulatory measures and encourages further work on the joint industry code of practice which could help achieve a better mutual understanding in this area and help address the technical differences around the production of sourdough. An update of existing guidance around commonly used marketing terms - such as reference to food being ‘fresh’ - across all foods is planned for the future.

Pesticides

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2022 to Question 11668, for what reason his Department has not completed a review of the recommendations in the Health and Safety Executive’s review of pesticide regulations; and when his Department plans to complete that review.

Mark Spencer: This work is being prioritised and taken forward in the context of a much wider review of our approach to pesticide regulation. We plan to complete the work later this year.

Food Banks

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the context of the rising cost of living, if he will prepare a plan to provide increased Government support to food banks in the event that they run out of food; and whether he is holding discussions with (a) food producers and (b) food retailers about how they can make a greater contribution to help mitigate food poverty.

Mark Spencer: While foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and HM Government does not have any role in their operation, we are in regular contact with major foodbank networks to better understand their needs and asks of Government.Since 2018, Defra has provided around £13 million to redistribution organisations for infrastructure such as vehicles and storage solutions to improve the capability and capacity of the sector. Defra is also working with the wider food chain through the Courtauld 2030 redistribution working group to tackle the barriers to food redistribution with updated labelling guidance and freezing advice.Through regular engagement, Defra continues to work with food retailers and producers to explore the range of measures they can take to ensure the availability of affordable food. For example, by maintaining value ranges, price matching and price freezing measures.This Government is determined to tackle the cost of living, building on the £37 billion support package already announced this year. This includes an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, including food, bringing total funding for this support to £1.5 billion.

Bread and Flour: Regulation

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the letter sent to him by the Real Bread Campaign on 16 August 2022, if he will ensure that the issues highlighted by that letter are reflected in the public consultation which opened on 1 September 2022 as part of his Department's review of the The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and The Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.

Mark Spencer: HM Government and the Devolved Administrations committed to carry out a review of Bread and Flour Regulations across the United Kingdom. A response from Defra's Food Minister, Victoria Prentis, was sent to the Real Bread Campaign on 6th September 2022. HM Government has set out its key proposals for change which are outlined in a public consultation published on 1st September 2022, and which is open for responses until 23rd November 2022. The proposals will address the most pressing aspects identified for change including the addition of mandatory folic acid to flour to prevent neural tube defects in foetuses, and improvements to the legislation which will help reduce burdens for businesses while still protecting the health of consumers. HM Government is committed to optimising the information that is available to consumers, and the Government Food Strategy sets out work that we will be taking forward on consumer information and transparency.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many young people aged eighteen or younger have undertaken work experience in his Department in the last 12 months; and what proportion of those young people were (a) girls and (b) boys from state schools.

Mark Spencer: The Civil Service aims to increase opportunities for people of all backgrounds and create a Civil Service fit for 21st century Britain through work experience, internships and apprenticeship schemes.The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs, as the department would have to ask each of the individual business areas for their local records of people on work experience.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for his Departmental staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by his Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Mark Spencer: Defra requires all staff to complete ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’ training on the Civil Service Learning website. Although the statutory defence contained in s109(4) Equality Act 2010 is therefore available for Defra to plead in cases where this is appropriate, we do not collate data about the defence that has been put forward in each discrimination case.

Fisheries: Quotas

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will commit to setting fishing quotas for target stocks at a level which prevents accidental catches of bycatch species exceeding sustainable limits.

Mark Spencer: The United Kingdom advocates an approach towards setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) which is founded on the best available scientific advice and that will maintain or rebuild sustainable fish stocks and fisheries. For a number of target stocks, a further key consideration when setting the TACs is their interaction with other stocks caught in the same mixed fishery. Consequently, we recognise the need to minimise unwanted bycatch and maintain stocks at sustainable levels.

Marine Protected Areas: Fisheries

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whjether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a temporary ban on bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas whilst it monitors the impact of that practice on designated pilot sites.

Mark Spencer: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a devolved competency and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The Marine Management Organisation and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities assess on a site-by-site basis which fishing activities could prevent MPAs from achieving their conservation objectives. Byelaws are developed using an evidence-led process to determine what management is required to protect sites and to not unduly restrict legitimate fishing activity. 98 MPAs in English inshore waters already have byelaws in place to protect sensitive features from damaging fishing activities and the first four offshore byelaws have now been established. A Call for Evidence on byelaws in 13 more MPAs has recently closed. We aim to have protection in place for all our offshore MPAs by 2024. In July, we also launched a consultation on five candidate Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) in English waters. With the highest level of protection in England’s seas to enable the ecosystem to fully recover, many activities including commercial and recreational fishing would be prohibited. HPMAs would complement the existing MPA network. Any HPMAs HM Government decides to designate following the consultation would be designated by July 2023. We are developing criteria to evaluate HPMAs from an ecological, social and economic perspective and intend to take a natural capital approach to evaluation. Our arms-length bodies will lead on monitoring pilot HPMAs.

Marine Protected Areas

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to implement at least five no-take Highly Protected Marine Areas as defined by the Benyon Review.

Mark Spencer: We are currently consulting on five candidate Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs). The consultation closes on 28th September. All evidence gathered will be analysed and will be used to inform the Secretary of State's decision on which sites to designate. Any pilot HPMAs will be designated by 6th July 2023, within one year of the consultation launch.

Food: Prices

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take legislative steps to ensure that every person living in the UK has a legal right to access to sufficient affordable food; if he will conduct a public consultation on the potential role that Government policies on (a) land ownership and access, (b) sustainable food production, (c) access to good-quality food, (d) protection of natural resources and (e) ensuring decent and secure livelihoods for food producers could play in delivering such a legal right; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Spencer: The Government recognises the importance of food security and access to food. Whilst not incorporated into domestic law, the UK recognises the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which includes the article on the right of everyone to adequate food. To support food security, we published the Food Strategy earlier this year. The Food Strategy puts food security at the heart of the Government's vision for the food sector. It aims to broadly maintain the current level of food that we produce domestically and boost production in sectors where there are the biggest opportunities. We are seeking to deliver as much as we can on our limited supply of land, to meet the whole range of Government commitments on food, housing, climate, and the environment. To help achieve this, we will publish a Land Use Framework in 2023 which will set out land-use change principles to balance these outcomes. The Future Farming & Countryside programmes are providing farmers with two ways of receiving payments. Farmers can apply for one-off grants, for example, the Farming investment fund, which offers funding for equipment, technology, and infrastructure that improves farm productivity. Farmers can also receive regular payments through ongoing schemes such as our 3 environmental land management schemes: Sustainable Farming Incentive; Local Nature Recovery; and Landscape Recovery, which will pay for more sustainable farming practices, improving animal health and welfare alongside food production. Farmers can pick and choose from the offers to find a package that works for them. In 2021, we published an update to the Agricultural Transition Plan, which included information on how we are co-designing our new schemes, including through engagement groups, tests and trials, and formal consultations. The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, of which food costs are a contributing factor. These are global challenges and that is why the Government provided over £37 billion in support, targeted particularly on those with the greatest need. This includes an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing the total funding for this support to £1.5 billion. In England, the current Household Support Fund is already providing £421 million of support for the period 1 April – 30 September 2022, and at least a third (£140 million) will be spent on families with children.

Marine Protected Areas: Fisheries

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ban (a) bottom-trawling and (b) other bottom-towed fishing gear in all offshore Marine Protected Areas; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Spencer: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a devolved competency and the information provided therefore relates to England only.We have designated a comprehensive network of MPAs and are now focused on making sure they are properly protected. Using new powers provided by the Fisheries Act 2020, we have already introduced byelaws in the first four offshore sites to protect sensitive habitats and species from bottom-towed gear and other damaging fishing activity. A call for evidence relating to the next 13 offshore sites has also been published and we are aiming to have all 40 MPAs in English offshore waters protected from damaging fishing activity by 2024.

Food: Labelling

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including information on water and energy usage expended in the production of food products as part of food labelling those products.

Mark Spencer: Across current voluntary industry schemes a wide range of metrics on environmental information are used. The Government Food Strategy announced the Food Data Transparency Programme (FDTP) to address this.The FDTP will develop consistent and defined metrics to objectively measure the health, environmental sustainability and animal welfare impacts of food, by providing access to rich, standardised, high-quality data so that the Government can track progress towards our shared health and environmental goals in order to make effective policy.We will work with stakeholders to create a common framework of metrics which the food and drink industry must follow when making voluntary information to consumers regarding their foods emission and sustainability claims.This mandatory methodology will be for participating companies to consistently follow, providing a common standard where eco-information is voluntarily used should they choose to include such information on their products.No decisions have yet been made on the metrics to include in the guidance. We will work with stakeholders through the FDTP to agree the inclusion of suitable metrics.

Food Banks

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that foodbanks have access to sufficient food to meet demand.

Mark Spencer: While foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Government does not have any role in their operation, we are in regular contact with major foodbank networks to better understand their needs and asks of Government. This Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling poverty and supporting people on lower incomes. In addition to the energy support announced by the Government this month, we have committed £37 billion to tackle the increased cost of living this year. This includes: cutting the Universal Credit taper and increasing work allowances giving 1.7 million families an extra £1,000 a year (on average); raising the National Insurance threshold resulting in a saving of over £330 a year for a typical employee; and £1.5 billion to help households with the cost of essentials, including food.

Marine Protected Areas: Fisheries

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to prevent bottom trawling in offshore Marine Protected Areas while the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction discusses a potential maritime biodiversity treaty.

Mark Spencer: In line with UN resolutions and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Guidelines, the United Kingdom is committed to working within the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations to which it is a member, to protect Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) and ensure the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks in the high seas. Domestically, the UK is at the forefront of marine protection with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) protecting over 38% of UK waters. We have developed an ambitious programme for assessing sites and implementing regulations to manage fishing activity, including bottom trawling, in all 40 English offshore MPAs. The first 4 offshore regulations have recently been announced and involve a complete ban on bottom trawling in two of the sites, one of which - the Dogger Bank - covers some 12,000km2, and partial bans in the other two where sensitive seabed features occur.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Legislation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2022 to Question 4537 on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Legislation, for what reasons 62 post-implementation reviews are currently outstanding; and what steps he is taking to undertake those reviews.

Mark Spencer: The number of Defra's outstanding post-implementation reviews (PIRs) is acknowledged. Similarly to many other departments, a number of reviews are outstanding owing to the essential reprioritisation of resources to manage the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union and the Government response to the Coronavirus pandemic.Processes have been strengthened to ensure that a higher proportion of PIRs are completed on time. The department is developing plans to complete them as soon as possible.Currently there are 57 overdue PIRs at Defra. Since January this year, 30 new Action Plans have been put in place to complete overdue reviews. The remaining 27 are being coordinated and planned.The Permanent Secretary has committed to updating the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee with more detail about the steps being taken to progress PIRs at the end of the year.

Horticulture: Seasonal Workers

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the independent report entitled Automation in Horticultural Review, published in July 2022, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of that report's recommendation on establishing a long-term seasonal workers' scheme to stabilise workforce pressures in the sector, help growers evaluate their labour needs, and incentivise long-term capital investments in automation technology.

Mark Spencer: The Government recognises the importance of a reliable source of seasonal labour for horticulture and the poultry sector and the role of automation in the food supply chain.The Government’s forthcoming response to the review of automation in horticulture will therefore outline actions to complement the immediate need for seasonal workers and help attract more residents of the United Kingdom into agricultural work – the overall aim of both being to, over time, reduce the sector’s dependency on seasonal migrant labour. Following an announcement in the Government Food Strategy, an extra 10,000 visas have been released for the Seasonal Worker visa route - bringing the total for this year to 40,000 visas. Under current agreement with the Home Office a similar number will be rolled forward for 2023. Defra are discussing with them precisely what the number will be, using evidence from the NFU and other stakeholders provided in 2022 and having regard to the Prime Minister’s stated support for a short term expansion of the visa route. As announced in the Government Food Strategy in June, the Government has now commissioned an independent labour review which will consider how automation, domestic labour and migrant labour can contribute to tackling labour shortages in the food supply chain. The review will focus on farming, processing, and food and non-alcoholic drink manufacturing as sectors which are critical for food production and food security. The review is being chaired by John Shropshire, an industry veteran who stepped down from his role as CEO of major horticulture producer G’s Group last year. He will be supported by an expert panel drawing in expertise from across the sectors covered by the review.Defra continues to speak regularly with the agriculture sector and other government departments to understand labour supply and demand, including for both permanent and seasonal workforce requirements, and to ensure there is a long-term strategy for the farming workforce. Defra is also working closely with the Home Office to ensure that the requirements for these sectors are understood across Government.

Deposit Return Schemes

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects to respond to the consultation on Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which closed on 4 June 2021; and if he will make a statement.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, by what date the Deposit Return Scheme will be operational.

Trudy Harrison: Further details on when a Deposit Return Scheme will be introduced will be set out in the Government response to last year's consultation. We are working towards publication in late 2022.

Bakeries: Small Businesses

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the Real Bread Campaign's proposals to necessitate the display of ingredients lists for products that are sold unwrapped.

Mark Spencer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 September 2022 to PQ 45032.

Food: Packaging

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) food packaging producers, (b) food manufacturers and (c) food and drink retailers on their preparedness for meeting the requirements of the extended producer responsibility regulations from 1 January 2023; and if he will make it his policy to ensure that the requirement on producers to take responsibility for the environmental impact of single use plastic packaging does not result in increased food costs for consumers.

Trudy Harrison: The Secretary of State has had introductory meetings with some representatives from the listed categories of businesses. Given that Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (packaging EPR) will place new obligations on these businesses, this was discussed at this meeting. I am also aware that in preparing to implement packaging EPR, Defra officials and previous ministers have engaged extensively with the relevant stakeholders, including those from the food and drink sector. This has included the Food and Drink Federation and the British Retail Consortium.Packaging EPR will see a transfer of costs from local taxpayers to the obligated producers who make and use packaging. It will, however, be for those obligated producers to decide if they will pass the costs on by increasing prices or reduce their costs by improving and reducing their packaging.

Electronic Cigarettes

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact of single-use, disposable e-cigarettes.

Trudy Harrison: Defra has made no assessment of the environmental impact of single-use, disposable e-cigarettes.

Recreation Spaces: Urban Areas

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that local tree and plant growers are utilised in outdoor public projects in urban areas to help improve air quality.

Trudy Harrison: We know that trees outside woodlands, including trees in urban areas, parks, and along roads and footpaths can provide many environmental benefits for people, including improved air quality.Through the Nature for Climate Fund we are boosting the numbers of trees near to where people live including:· up to £4.4 million available to local communities through the Local Authority Treescapes Fund to plant and establish new trees;· providing almost £8 million of financial support to local authorities to increase their capacity and specialist skills to plant and manage trees, through the ground-breaking Woodland Creation Accelerator Fund;· planting up to 150,000 large trees in towns and cities across England using the £6 million Urban Tree Challenge Fund;· contributing to the £9 million Levelling Up Parks Fund, which will create over 100 new parks to increase access to green space in urban areas.Additional funding is being provided to support tree growers and seed suppliers across England, to help meet the growing demand for trees. We have developed capital and innovation grants for the sector that will encourage the adoption of mechanisation and automation, and help enhance the quantity, quality, diversity and biosecurity of domestic tree production.Alongside this, Defra has been working closely with the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group who have published an action plan 'Unlocking green growth: A plan from the ornamental horticulture & landscaping industry'. This sets out the industry's potential contributions to tackling some of the environmental challenges facing the UK, including through the use of a greater proportion of British-produced plants and trees in public sector projects, and the incorporation of more community green spaces within the urban planning process. Where Government can help, we will work with the sector to help it take advantage of the opportunities outlined in the action plan.

Marine Protected Areas: Fisheries

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ban (a) supertrawlers, (b) fly shooters and (c) all other types of destructive fishing in Marine Protected Areas.

Mark Spencer: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a devolved competency and the information provided therefore relates to England only.The Marine Management Organisation and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities assess on a site-by-site basis which fishing activities could prevent them from achieving their conservation objectives.'Supertrawlers' generally target pelagic species of fish within the water column and are unlikely to interact with the seabed habitats, such as reef and sediment habitats, for which most MPAs are designated. Some other types of fishing such as bottom trawling and fly-shooting interact with the seabed and are therefore likely to impact seabed habitats. The compatibility of these activities will depend on the features protected in each site. If the site assessments conclude that this type of fishing poses a risk to the conservation objectives of a MPA, the relevant regulator would implement management measures.Regulators follow an evidence-led process to determine what management is required to protect sites and to not unduly restrict legitimate fishing activity. 98 MPAs in English inshore waters already have byelaws in place to protect sensitive features from damaging fishing activities and the first four English offshore byelaws have now been established. A Call for Evidence on byelaws in 13 more MPAs has recently closed. We aim to have protection in place for all our English offshore MPAs by 2024.In July, we launched a consultation on five candidate Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) in English waters. With the highest level of protection in England's seas to enable the ecosystem to fully recover, many activities including commercial and recreational fishing would be prohibited. HPMAs would complement the existing MPA network. Any HPMAs that HM Government decides to designate following the consultation would be designated by July 2023.

Home Office

Asylum: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of unaccompanied minors living in contingency accommodation sites in Northern Ireland.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office does not have any contingency accommodation sites accommodating unaccompanied asylum seeking children in Northern Ireland.

Slavery: Victim Support Schemes

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to support victims of human trafficking and modern slavery in the UK.

Mims Davies: The Government is committed to delivering personalised, needs-based support to victims of modern slavery, which places the individual victim and their recovery needs at the heart of the support we provide.The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the process that identifies and supports victims of modern slavery by connecting them with appropriate support; including through the UK government funded Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC), support provided by local authorities, asylum services, and wider state support services such as the NHS.The MSVCC is valued at over £300m and helps thousands of victims in England and Wales each year to access vital support they need to assist with their recovery from their modern slavery experience. It provides victims with three core pillars of support: safehouse accommodation, financial support (where necessary), and access to a support worker to assist with accessing wider services such as healthcare, translation services and legal aid. The Government’s comprehensive support offer is set out in full in Annex F of the Modern Slavery Statutory guidance, found modern slavery statutory guidance, non statutory guidance v2.11 (publishing.service.gov.uk)Support for victims in Scotland and Northern Ireland is provided by the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive respectively.

Asylum: Applications

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 August 2022 to Question 39956 on Asylum: Applications, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the New Plan for Immigration on processing costs for asylum applications; and if she will make an estimate of how those costs will change in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.

Tom Pursglove: We do not hold nor calculate the costs for this on a calendar year basis, nor do we have an estimate of costs for 2022/23, as the calculation of costs are collated from across the Home Office, once a year only, after the annual accounts have been published. This is still ongoing for 2021/22, and they will be available in the autumn. The Home Office routinely publish information on the total cost and breakdown of asylum costs and productivity and can be found at Asy_04: Immigration and protection data: Q1 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Visas: British National (Overseas)

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what support his Department will provide to young people from Hong Kong who will become eligible for the British National (Overseas) visa from November this year.

Paul Scully: In April 2021 the department launched a new UK-wide Welcome Programme to support BN(O) status holders, and in July 2022 announced the continuation of the Programme. This cohort of young people will be able to access the full Hong Kong BN(O) Welcome Programme, including support from Welcome Hubs across the UK, support from community organisations providing a range of services including help with social integration, mental health and employability, they will also be eligible to access English language and destitution support via local Councils (England only). They can already access a comprehensive online Welcome Pack, in English and Cantonese on GOV.UK that provides advice on life in the UK.

Building Safety Fund

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the number of approved Building Safety Fund applications whose construction costs have risen since the initial tender was completed, and if he will take steps to approve the cost variation.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of whether construction costs for projects funded through the Building Safety Fund have changed since those applications were (a) submitted and (b) agreed; and whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that rising costs do not delay the progress of remediation works.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of inflation on the viability of funding agreements made through the Building Safety Fund.

Paul Scully: Applicants can only submit a full costs application to the Building Safety Fund once they have gone out to tender and have a preferred contractor to carry out the remediation works. At that point they must provide the required cost breakdown and their application will be assessed by the Department. If costs are assessed as acceptable an award of funding and grant funding agreement is issued. Applicants will also enter into a works contract with the main contractor, based on the costs agreed at tender from the contractor. We expect the works to start on site as soon as practically possible once contracts are signed.Applicants to the Building Safety Fund are then required to manage the total eligible costs of remediation project within the grant awarded. We appreciate that circumstances can change and costs may increase because of unforeseen overruns or variations to contract scope. Where this happens applicants can submit an application for variations which will be considered by the Department. However, where construction contracts vary in the placement of liability in relation to variations and cost variation applications to the Building Safety Fund will only be permitted if the liability for the variation is the applicant's and not the contractor's. Guidance on variations under the Building Safety Fund can be found in the Building Safety Fund Application Guidance on gov.uk [at www.gov.uk/guidance/remediation-of-non-acm-buildings and www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-fund-guidance-for-new-applications-2022 ].The Department appoints cost consultants for the Building Safety Fund. They undertake additional monitoring of tenders and variation requests including to identify where costs are rising as a result of inflation. The Department is actively seeking to better monitor the overall impact of inflation, including on the Building Safety Fund.

Building Safety Fund

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's Remediation of non-ACM buildings publication, why the number of buildings where remediation had started on site fell from 282 to 245 between 1 August and 14 September.

Paul Scully: Between 31 July 2022 and 31 August 2022, there was an increase of seven buildings in the Building Safety Fund that started remediation, and six buildings that completed remediation works.As at 31 July 2022, 282 buildings in the Building Safety Fund had started or completed remediation works. Of those 282 buildings, 44 buildings had completed remediation works.As at 31 August 2022, 295 buildings in the Building Safety Fund had started or completed remediation works. Of those 295 buildings, 50 buildings had completed remediation works (and 245 buildings had started, but not completed remediation works).

High Rise Flats: Mortgages

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on helping to secure mortgage lending for buildings where cladding remediation work has been agreed upon but not yet begun.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the lending and valuation process undertaken by mortgage lender's on flats where (a) unsafe cladding has been remediated and (b) remediation work has been agreed but not yet begun.

Paul Scully: The Building Safety Act confirms that those at fault, not blameless leaseholders, will be the ones who pay to fix unsafe cladding. This removes risk for lenders and help restore common sense to the market. There should be no remaining barriers to lending on remediated buildings.On 15 July the largest mortgage lenders confirmed that, subject to their normal policy requirements, they will be able to lend on any property that is part of a developer or government remediation scheme or properties that are protected by the new statutory protections, as evidenced by a qualifying lease certificate. This statement can be found here.We continue to work with the industry to quickly operationalise these changes and expect the challenges faced by those struggling to buy and sell, including for those in flats where remediation has not yet begun, will be eased.

Leasehold: Safety

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the leaseholder deed of certificate.

Paul Scully: The Department engaged with leaseholder groups and lenders on the leaseholder deed of certificate. This helped to ensure that the leaseholder deed of certificate is fit for purpose; the information requirements were designed to present a minimal burden to leaseholders, whilst being sufficiently robust to demonstrate their qualifying status and to also prevent fraud.We have worked closely with leaseholder groups to produce guidance on the leaseholder deed of certificates and the overall leaseholder protections. This guidance can be found here.The leaseholder deed of certificate is an essential tool in the protection of leaseholders from unaffordable bills for historical building safety defects. This deed of certificate enables leaseholders to self-determine whether or not they benefit from the protections with regard to remediation costs for unsafe cladding and non-cladding building safety defects, as well as costs for interim safety measures for their leasehold property. The leaseholder deed of certificate is an essential part of the protections as it allows leaseholders to demonstrate their ‘qualifying leaseholder’ status.

Housing: Insulation

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Government’s proposals to ask developers who have pledged to remediate life critical fire safety works to sign a legally binding contract in relation to that remediation, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Home Builders Federation and (b) developers on the (i) scope and (ii) standard that contract will set for developer-funded remediation for unsafe buildings.

Paul Scully: The Government published a draft of the remediation contract on 13 July 2022 and has received comments and held discussions about the draft with various parties including the Home Builders Federation and individual developers. We are working to finalise the wording of the contract, including with respect to the scope and standard of works to be performed. We will publish the final draft of the contract and have made clear that it will not deviate from the principles set out in the pledge.

Housing: Insulation

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on the housing market of the guidance note produced by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on 5 April 2021 entitled Valuation of properties in multi-storey, multi-occupancy residential buildings with cladding.

Paul Scully: The Department has been consistently clear that the lending and valuation industries have taken an overly cautious and risk-averse approach to building safety across the sector which has in turn impacted a sub-sector of the housing market. RICS are developing new guidance to support the valuation of properties with cladding, which they intend to consult on shortly, and which will reflect the protections contained within the Building Safety Act.

Social Fund: Cost of Living

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the levels of discretionary social fund applications to local authorities over the last 2 years; what discussions he has had with local authority chief executives on the additional burdens faced by local authorities linked to the increase in the cost-of-living for residents; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Scully: Local authorities have powers to provide local welfare assistance. Following the abolition of the Discretionary Social Fund in 2013, funding is instead made available to deliver local welfare assistance through the Local Government Finance Settlement. The majority of funding provided through the settlement is un-ringfenced in recognition of the fact that local authorities are best placed to decide on local priorities The Local Government Finance Settlement 2022/23 makes available £54.1 billion for local government in England, an increase of up to £3.7 billion on 2021/22 In recognition of the pressures on household budgets, the Government is extending the Household Support Fund from October 2022 to March 2023, with a further £421 million to help households with the costs of essentials. The management information for the first Household Support Fund scheme has now been published: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/household-support-fund-management-information-6-october-2021-to-31-march-2022.   The Government is providing broader support, with the new 'Energy Price Guarantee' saving the average household at least £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. This is in addition to a package of support worth £37 billion in 2022/23.

Local Government: Remote Meetings

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made in analysing the consultation responses to the call for evidence on local authority remote meetings that closed on 17 June 2021; what the reasons are for not having published the (a) findings and (b) Government's next steps following the consultation; if he will publish those finding and next steps; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Scully: The Government issued the call for evidence on remote meetings last year to gather views and inform a longer-term decision about making permanent provisions for councils to meet remotely or in hybrid form. The Department has considered the responses and we have been weighing the pros and cons of the idea.The Government will be issuing its response to the call for evidence which will set out our intentions on this matter shortly.

Private Rented Housing: Income

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the equity of requirements for prospective tenants to demonstrate a level income to landlords and letting agents that is significantly in excess of the monthly rent required.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government continues to encourage private rented sector landlords and letting agents to assess the suitability of potential and existing tenants on an individual basis.   A landlord or letting agent is free to carry out any affordability checks within the law as they deem appropriate before accepting a new tenant. This may include income requirements to ensure a sustainable tenancy for both parties.Landlords can offer alternatives to high income-level affordability checks, including references, a guarantor, or rent in advance where appropriate.A fair deal for renters remains a priority, and I am currently reviewing next steps following the publication of the White Paper “A Fairer Private Rented Sector” and will update Parliament in due course.

Private Rented Housing: Social Security Benefits

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has taken recent steps to help prevent private landlords from discriminating against people who claim (a) Universal Credit and (b) other benefits.

Andrew Stephenson: Everyone deserves to have access to secure, safe and affordable housing. Whilst the vast majority of landlords are decent and responsible owners who provide a professional service, blanket bans against those in receipt of benefits have no place in a fair and modern housing market.   The White Paper 'A Fairer Private Rented Sector', published in June 2022, provides further information on the most recent Government announcements in this policy area. A fair deal for renters remains a priority, and I am currently reviewing next steps following the publication of the White Paper and will update Parliament in due course.

Refugees: Ukraine

David Warburton: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support the sponsors of refugees from Ukraine who are experiencing delays in finding their own homes.

Andrew Stephenson: We are working closely with local councils to understand where pressures may be and are actively exploring options to find suitable long-term accommodation for the Ukrainians who are likely to stay in this country beyond their initial sponsorship period.The updated guidance for the Homes for Ukraine guests, hosts and councils setting out all the support options available to them can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-councils#four-to-6-months-after-guests-have-moved-to-your-area.

Rented Housing: Tribunals

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that First-Tier Tribunals making Market Rent Assessments cannot increase tenants' rents on the basis of improvements resulting from a means-tested grant applied for by a tenant; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stephenson: At present, when determining a rent in market rent cases the tribunal will ignore any improvements by the tenant. This is to ensure that such improvements will not have the effect of inflating the rent.The White Paper 'A Fairer Private Rented Sector', published in June 2022, provides further information on the most recent Government announcements in this policy area.

Temporary Accommodation

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the average time families live in temporary accommodation in the last three years; and what steps he is taking to reduce waiting lists for social housing.

Andrew Stephenson: The Statutory Homelessness Statistics publication for the 2021-22 sets out that the most common length of time for households with children to be in temporary accommodation was for two to five years, representing 19,450 or a third (33.0%) of households with children. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statutory-homelessness-in-england-financial-year-2021-22.Time spent in temporary accommodation means people are getting help and it ensures no family is without a roof over their head. This Government is committed to reducing the need for temporary accommodation by preventing homelessness before it occurs. Local Authorities have received £316 million through the Homelessness Prevention Grant in 2022-23, giving them the funding to prevent homelessness and help more people sooner.Since 2010, social housing waiting lists have reduced by more than 550,000 households and we have delivered more than 574,000 affordable homes, including 154,600 for social rent. A further £11.5 billion of taxpayer subsidy is being made available with £8.6 billion of that already allocated.

Rents: Regulation

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to introduce rent controls in the context of the increases in the cost of living.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government does not support the introduction of rent controls in the private rented sector to set the level of rent at the outset of a tenancy.  Historical evidence suggests that these would discourage investment in the sector and would lead to declining property standards as a result, which would not help landlords or tenants.

Voting Rights: Young People

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending voting rights to 16 and 17 year olds in England.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government was elected on a manifesto commitment to retain the current franchise at 18 and therefore has not made an assessment of the merits of extending voting rights to 16 and 17 year olds in England.

Refugees: Ukraine

David Warburton: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to provide (a) homes, (b) jobs and (c) school placements for refugees from Ukraine.

Andrew Stephenson: We continue to review and develop plans to support guests to access the best possible support to during their stay in the UK. We are also providing guidance on navigating the UK housing market and encouraging landlords to support this cohort into accommodation The government is committed to supporting this cohort into work. DWP is working with Ukrainians and employers to signpost and match job opportunities Ukrainian parents will be able apply for a school place through the in-year admissions process. The Ukrainian Welcome Pack sets out this process in more detail. Local councils will work with families to enable all children to attend school or early years provision in the local area as soon as possible.

Social Rented Housing: Regulation

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the removal of the Regulator for Social Housing’s veto power over the registered provider status of organisations which are taken over, merge or fundamentally change their constitutions.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government removed the need for the Regulator of Social Housing to give consent for takeovers, mergers or other fundamental constitutional changes as part of a package of deregulatory measures to ensure that housing associations would remain classified as private bodies.Measures included in the new Social Housing Regulation Bill ensure that the Regulator will continue to have clear sight of where these changes take place and is aware of the structure of registered providers after a change has occurred.

Social Rented Housing: Regulation

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of safeguards against dormant registered providers restarting operations with new boards or activities to avoid scrutiny from the Regulator for Social Housing.

Andrew Stephenson: The Social Housing White Paper set out a number of measures that would ensure the Regulator has the powers it needs to scrutinise the operations of registered providers in a proportionate manner. This included the “notification of change of control”, recently introduced by government amendment to the Social Housing Regulation Bill. This measure will require registered providers to notify the Regulator where a substantial change of control over a registered provider takes place.This is supported by the “collection of information” clause which broadens existing powers for the Regulator to access the information it needs to understand how a registered provider is operating, and in turn would help to inform any investigation into concerns about a provider’s compliance with regulatory standards.

Social Rented Housing: Regulation

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of lowering the threshold at which the Regulator for Social Housing can make statutory appointments to the boards of non-compliant registered providers.

Andrew Stephenson: The Regulator uses statutory appointments to strengthen the boards of non-compliant providers, where the board lacks the skills and capacity to provide effective governance. This allows the Regulator to appoint people with relevant expertise and experience, depending on the weaknesses of the existing board that need to be addressed.  Ultimately, this supports the provider to return to compliance, to the benefit of its tenants.It is crucial that the Regulator is able to use this power effectively when needed. We are making a minor amendment to the Bill which will allow the Regulator to use the power where there are no board members but an officer remains, addressing a potential gap that exists currently.  We are also clarifying that the Regulator can appoint officers where a provider is in breach of a regulatory standard. Co-regulation only works if providers have effective boards. These changes are vital in ensuring that the Regulator can act decisively and effectively to address the weaknesses on a board.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for his Departmental staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by his Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Lee Rowley: The cross-government learning curriculum, which is curated by the Government Skills and Curriculum Unit (GSCU), includes an 'Inclusion in the Civil Service' e-learning module, which has been included DLUHC's mandatory learning requirement and references the Equality Act 2010. We are unable to confirm whether officials' obligations under the Equality Act 2010 have been used as defence in legal proceedings brought against the Department since the commencement of that Act as the information is not held centrally.

Devolution: Yorkshire and the Humber

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of (a) North Yorkshire County Council and (b) City of York Council on devolution since the signing of the York and North Yorkshire devolution deal on 1 August 2022.

Dehenna Davison: Whilst neither my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have yet had an opportunity for direct discussions with the representatives of North Yorkshire County Council or the City of York Council about their ambitious devolution deal, we welcome the steps those councils are taking to implement the deal and look forward to working with them on this.

City Deals: East Midlands

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make a comparative assessment of the potential economic merits of a (a) six and (b) four county and city deal for the East Midlands.

Dehenna Davison: We are committed to ensuring that every part of England that wants a devolution deal will have one by 2030. Our recently announced devolution agreement with the four upper tier authorities of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire covers an area of over two million people who will benefit from a mayor. The directly elected mayor will take important decisions for their area on transport, skills, and housing, with a new long-term investment fund totalling £1.14bn over 30 years. Devolution must be locally-led, rather than top-down. We will be happy to consider other devolution opportunities in the East Midlands where there is local support.

Urban Areas: Children and Young People

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making funds available for the purposes of investing in high streets with amenities and space for children and young people.

Dehenna Davison: We want to see vibrant towns and high streets that are more attractive places to live, work and visit. This is central to our levelling up agenda.Our £3.6bn Towns Fund is investing in amenities across the country that will benefit children and young people. For example, the £9 million Youth Zone in Crewe will have 13 high spec equipped spaces including large-scale sports hall and multi-use 3G pitch, as well as other facilities for young people.Our £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund continues to invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life for residents across the UK. One key investment theme of the fund is regeneration and town centre investment. Applicants have been encouraged to submit bids which focus on bringing accessible community spaces into town and city centres.The £2.6bn UK Shared Prosperity Fund was allocated to all areas of the UK and empowers places to identify and build on their own needs at a local level. Local places are free to choose a range of interventions to support, this includes specific funding to support the improvement of town centres and high streets.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Information Officers

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 22 April 2022 to Question 155781 on Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Information Officers, what percentage of communications staff were (a) embedded in the Department, (b) part of the central communications directorate and (c) loaned or seconded from other Government departments.

Lee Rowley: 100% of the 73 officials detailed in the Department’s previous response were (a) working in the Department’s Communications directorate. None of these officials were (b) employed by the central Government Communications Service run out of the Cabinet Office or (c) loaned or seconded to the Department from other Government Departments at that time.

Help to Buy Scheme

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Help to Buy scheme, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports that buyers have been unable to re-mortgage as a result of the administrators of the equity loan failing to complete the necessary paperwork.

Lee Rowley: The process of equity loan administration for re-mortgaging is undertaken by an external contractor, Target, who are expected to provide a timely and quality service. Homes England act as monitors of that process.As with all processes, there will inevitably be some cases which have additional complexity and where the processes may take longer than anticipated. Should there be any specific issues, we suggest that customers approach Target in the first instance to discuss individual cases. If that does not resolve the matter, we would welcome further information to allow us to discuss further with Homes England and the external contractor.

Planning Permission: Appeals

Oliver Dowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the Government's policy is on the ability for the Planning Inspectorate to override planning decisions made by local councils.

Lee Rowley: The right of appeal following the refusal of an application is an important part of a planning system. The Planning Inspectorate are required to determine an appeal in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.   Currently, around two thirds of appeals are refused.

Recreation Spaces: Local Plans

Oliver Dowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the Government will take to ensure local authorities can put in place Local Plans which ensure the protection of local green spaces.

Lee Rowley: Local planning authorities must prepare a local plan as the primary basis for identifying what development is needed in an area, deciding where it should go and dealing with planning applications. Local Plans provide greater certainty for communities, businesses, and developers, enabling local areas to set out their strategy for future development and their approach to protecting and enhancing local character, as well as securing community buy in.The National Planning Policy Framework acknowledges the importance that open and green space makes to achieving sustainable development. The Framework is clear that local planning authorities through their local plan, and local communities through their neighbourhood plan, can identify and protect green areas of particular importance to them by formally designating them as Local Green Space. This is then classed as a protected area by the Framework and policies for managing development within a Local Green Space should be consistent with those for Green Belts.Whether to designate land as Local Green Space is a matter of local discretion. The space should be demonstrably special to the local community and hold a particular local significance, for example because of its beauty, historic significance, recreational value tranquillity or richness of its wildlife. This could be in rural or urban settings and can include space created as part of new development.

Planning: Green Belt

Oliver Dowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Government will take steps to prevent overdevelopment of Green Belt land in its future planning reforms.

Lee Rowley: This Government has a manifesto commitment to protect and enhance the Green Belt. Our National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that a local authority should not propose to alter a Green Belt boundary unless there are exceptional circumstances and it can show at examination of the Local Plan that it has explored every other reasonable option: including using brownfield land or optimising the density of development. Within Green Belt, most types of new building are questioned and should be refused planning permission unless there are very special circumstances, as determined by the local authority. These strong protections for Green Belt land are to remain firmly in place.

Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to review the performance of local authorities on meeting local housing need.

Lee Rowley: The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires that Councils identify and update annually a supply of specific 'deliverable' sites sufficient to provide a minimum of five years' worth of housing against their housing requirement. This is more commonly known as a 5-year housing land supply. Additionally, the Housing Delivery Test identifies the areas where homes are or are not being delivered against housing need.Where the supply and delivery of housing is not meeting local need, the presumption in favour of sustainable development applies. This means additional housing allocations and approvals should be granted by a local authority unless planning constraints provide a strong reason against this when assessed against the NPPF as a whole - examples of this include Green Belt or flood risk.

Gazumping

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2022 to Question 125519 on Gazumping, what progress his Department has made on encouraging the adoption of voluntary reservation agreements since February 2022.

Lee Rowley: Earlier this year, we signalled our intent in the Levelling Up White Paper to work with industry to improve the home buying and selling process.Whilst specific policy proposals will need to come forward as part of that initiative, we are now in the process of developing a more detailed plan and will draw upon previous collated research, analysis and data to inform our approach.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Conditions of Employment

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many staff are employed by his Department on (a) full time, (b) part time and (c) flexible working arrangements.

Mr Alister Jack: The Scotland Office does not employ any staff directly. The Civil Service Statistics: 2022 reports that the Scotland Office (including the Office of the Advocate General) had 110 full time staff and 10 part time staff in post as at 31 March 2022. Information on flexible working arrangements is not collected.

Scotland Office: Visits Abroad

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many official representations abroad ministers in his Department made in (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20 and (c) 2021-2022; in which countries those representations took place; in what capacity those representations were undertaken; and what the cost to the public purse was of each of those representations.

Mr Alister Jack: In the financial year 2018-19, Ministers made five official representations abroad in their ministerial capacity. These representations were to Iceland, the United States of America, New Zealand, Uruguay and Chile. The cost of these was £17,807.66. In the financial year 2019-20, Ministers made one official representation abroad in their ministerial capacity. This representation was to Hungary. The cost of this was £240.68. In the financial year 2021-22, Ministers made three official representations abroad in their ministerial capacity. These representations were to India, Finland and Norway. The cost of these was £2,383.93. Further details on the purpose and details of these visits are available in the Ministerial transparency returns, which are published on https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?organisations%5B%5D=office-of-the-secretary-of-state-for-scotland&parent=office-of-the-secretary-of-state-for-scotland.

Scotland Office: Public Expenditure and Staff

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of the (a) staffing levels and (b) running costs of his Department in (i) 2022–23 and (ii) 2023–24.

Mr Alister Jack: The Spending Review Settlement agreed with HM Treasury voted the Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate General a Resource DEL provision (excluding depreciation) of £13.4m for 2022-23 and £13.7m for 2023-24. This calculation was based on a staffing structure across both offices of 137 in 2022-23 and 135 in 2023-24.

Scotland Office: Trade Promotion

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many official trade representations abroad did ministers from his Department make in (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019–20 and (c) 2021–2022; and in which countries those representations took place.

Mr Alister Jack: The Secretary of State for Scotland visited Uruguay and Chile on an official trade representation in September 2018. Across the financial years 2018-19, 2019–20 and 2021–2022, Ministers from the Scotland Office visited Iceland, the United States of America, New Zealand, India, Finland and Norway to promote trade with Scotland. Further details on the purpose and details of these visits are available in the Ministerial transparency returns, which are published on:https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?organisations%5B%5D=office-of-the-secretary-of-state-for-scotland&parent=office-of-the-secretary-of-state-for-scotland

Advocate General for Scotland and Scotland Office: Public Expenditure

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the running costs of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland and Advocate-General for Scotland were in each year 2015–2022; how much of the budget in each year was allocated to (a) staff costs, (b) maintenance, (c) travel costs and (d) other expenditure.

Mr Alister Jack: The running costs of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland and Advocate-General for Scotland in each year between 2015–2022, broken down by (a) staff costs, (b) maintenance, (c) travel costs and (d) other expenditure are shown below: Financial YearStaff  CostsMaintenance (Accommodation Costs)Travel  CostsOther Expenditure £000£000£000£0002015-16£5,926£1,585£587£6332016-17£6,821£1,293£628£1,0512017-18£6,204£1,620£546£9502018-19£6,838£1,360£643£7732019-20£7,611£1,591£752£1,4522020-21£7,806£3,405£119£8322021-22£8,479£1,865£297£564

Scotland Office: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for his Departmental staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by his Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Mr Alister Jack: On no occasion has the Scotland Office cited the provision of mandatory training for its staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Scotland Office: Staff

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 2022 to Question 155783, for what reason his Department does not employ staff directly.

Mr Alister Jack: As with other, comparable small Ministerial departments e.g. the Northern Ireland Office, Wales Office, the Scotland Office benefits from access to the recruitment services of larger organisations. In the case of the Scotland Office, it is the Scottish Government and the Ministry of Justice.This supports our commitment to managing the public finances in a responsible way, promoting intergovernmental relations and providing easily accessible, rewarding career opportunities for civil servants.

Scotland Office: Staff

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether his Department includes the costs of staff seconded to his Departments from elsewhere in Government in its annual departmental budget.

Mr Alister Jack: The costs of all staff seconded to the Department from elsewhere in Government are included within the annual departmental budget.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Corporate Travel Management

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which ten locations had the highest (a) accommodation spend and (b) number of room nights booked in each year of his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03; and what the average room rate was in each location.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which ten venues had the highest (a) accommodation spend and (b) number of room nights booked in each year of his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the reporting requirements set out in his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03, if he will set out the travellers with the ten highest (a) spend and (b) number of room nights in each reporting year of the contract.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the reporting requirements set out in his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03, what the (a) number of and (b) amount of spending on out of policy bookings of accommodation was in each reporting year of the contract, broken down by the reason codes defined in Annex 1 of Contract 3, Schedule 2, Services Part A: Specification of Requirements.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the reporting requirements set out in his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd, reference CCTM19A03, what were the total costs incurred in each reporting year of the contract in instances where the cost of cancellation or refunds in relation to accommodation, and fees incurred in administering the cancellation or refunds, outweighed the original transaction cost.

Edward Argar: Contract CCTM19A03 does not cater for accommodation bookings.This enabling agreement is the framework document for the call off contract to provide Ministerial Air Charter Transport. The contracting authority for the call off contract is the Cabinet Office on behalf of His Majesty’s Government. The Framework Agreement (RM6016) is held by Crown Commercial Service on behalf of His Majesty’s Government.All responses under the contract reference CCTM19A03 refer to Air Charter Travel only.

Cabinet Office: Corporate Travel Management

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the reporting requirements set out in his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03, what the (a) number and (b) amount of spending on out of policy bookings was for rail in each reporting year of the contract by the reason codes defined in Annex 1 of Contract 3, Schedule 2, Services Part A: Specification of Requirements.

Edward Argar: Contract CCTM19A03 does not cater for rail bookings.This enabling agreement is the framework document for the call off contract to provide Ministerial Air Charter Transport. The contracting authority for the call off contract is the Cabinet Office on behalf of His Majesty’s Government. The Framework Agreement (RM6016) is held by Crown Commercial Service on behalf of His Majesty’s Government.All responses under the contract reference CCTM19A03 refer to Air Charter Travel only.

Cabinet Office: Corporate Travel Management

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the reporting requirements set out in his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03, what the split by (a) total spend and (b) volume was of (i) UK domestic, (ii) short haul or (iii) long haul flights by air in each reporting year of the contract.

Edward Argar: Total Spend: £1,259,382.20 Breakdown of SpendVolume Of SpendNumber of flightsUK Domestic£79,284.556%5Europe£538,164.4043%11Rest Of World£641,933.2051%3This enabling agreement is the framework document for the call off contract to provide Ministerial Air Charter Transport. The contracting authority for the call off contract is the Cabinet Office on behalf of His Majesty’s Government. The Framework Agreement (RM6016) is held by Crown Commercial Service on behalf of His Majesty’s Government.All responses under the contract reference CCTM19A03 refer to Air Charter Travel only.

Cabinet Office: Corporate Travel Management

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of journeys by air were under 300 miles in each year of his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03.

Edward Argar: 16% - 3 out of the 19 charter flights since the start of the contract were under 300 miles.This enabling agreement is the framework document for the call off contract to provide Ministerial Air Charter Transport. The contracting authority for the call off contract is the Cabinet Office on behalf of His Majesty’s Government. The Framework Agreement (RM6016) is held by Crown Commercial Service on behalf of His Majesty’s Government.All responses under the contract reference CCTM19A03 refer to Air Charter Travel only.

Cabinet Office: Corporate Travel Management

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the reporting requirements set out in his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03, what (a) the top ten suppliers were by (i) spend and (ii) number of journeys in each reporting year of the contract for air; and (b) what their average fares were in those years.

Edward Argar: CTM is the sole supplier under this contract. They subcontract with appropriate Air Operators to provide best value for money/ operation; utility/ service for each tasking.This enabling agreement is the framework document for the call off contract to provide Ministerial Air Charter Transport. The contracting authority for the call off contract is the Cabinet Office on behalf of His Majesty’s Government. The Framework Agreement (RM6016) is held by Crown Commercial Service on behalf of His Majesty’s Government.All responses under the contract reference CCTM19A03 refer to Air Charter Travel only.

Cabinet Office: Corporate Travel Management

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which ten people had the highest (a) spend and (b) number of journeys by (i) air and (ii) rail in each year of his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03.

Edward Argar: This information can be found within the Departmental Quarterly Transparency reports.This enabling agreement is the framework document for the call off contract to provide Ministerial Air Charter Transport. The contracting authority for the call off contract is the Cabinet Office on behalf of His Majesty’s Government. The Framework Agreement (RM6016) is held by Crown Commercial Service on behalf of His Majesty’s Government.All responses under the contract reference CCTM19A03 refer to Air Charter Travel only.

Cabinet Office: Corporate Travel Management

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the top ten routes by (a) spend and (b) number of journeys were for (i) air and (ii) rail in each year of his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03.

Edward Argar: Nil - all flights were to different destinations/ itineraries.This enabling agreement is the framework document for the call off contract to provide Ministerial Air Charter Transport. The contracting authority for the call off contract is the Cabinet Office on behalf of His Majesty’s Government. The Framework Agreement (RM6016) is held by Crown Commercial Service on behalf of His Majesty’s Government.All responses under the contract reference CCTM19A03 refer to Air Charter Travel only.

Cabinet Office: Corporate Travel Management

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total number of bookings made outside of his Department’s travel policy for (a) air, (b) rail, (c) accommodation and (d) booking fees was in each year of his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03.

Edward Argar: Nil - all in accordance with extant departmental policy.This enabling agreement is the framework document for the call off contract to provide Ministerial Air Charter Transport. The contracting authority for the call off contract is the Cabinet Office on behalf of His Majesty’s Government. The Framework Agreement (RM6016) is held by Crown Commercial Service on behalf of His Majesty’s Government.All responses under the contract reference CCTM19A03 refer to Air Charter Travel only.

Cabinet Office: Corporate Travel Management

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) number of, (b) value of refunds from and (c) value of non-refundable expenditure resulting from cancellations was for (i) air, (ii) rail, (iii) accommodation, and (iv) booking fees in each year of his Department’s contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCTM19A03.

Edward Argar: There are no refunds as the contract references ‘no use, no fee’.This enabling agreement is the framework document for the call off contract to provide Ministerial Air Charter Transport. The contracting authority for the call off contract is the Cabinet Office on behalf of His Majesty’s Government. The Framework Agreement (RM6016) is held by Crown Commercial Service on behalf of His Majesty’s Government.All responses under the contract reference CCTM19A03 refer to Air Charter Travel only.

Emergencies: Mobile Phones

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to publish further information on the new emergency alert system.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to launch the new emergency alert service; and whether his Department is taking steps to put in place a public information strategy on the introduction of emergency alerts.

Edward Argar: The Emergency Alerts capability is technically ready to launch having been tested at a local and regional level and is expected to be trialled nationally later this year. The government is currently reviewing all new spending following the Chancellor's announcement last week in accordance with the government's plan for growth. This will inform a final decision on the timing of any trial.

Temperature

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the heatwave in the UK on 18 and 19 July 2022, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UK is prepared for future heatwaves.

Edward Argar: In a statement to the House at the time of the heatwave, CDL (then Kit Malthouse) noted that ‘although Britain may be unaccustomed to such high temperatures [reaching 40c], the UK, along with our European neighbours must learn to live with extreme events such as these.’In response to this statement, the Civil Contingencies Secretariat, now the COBR Unit, commissioned all key delivery partners to submit lessons learned from responding to the heatwave as part of the continuous improvement process. A series of recommendations were designed to embed these reflections into working practices and make future responses to extreme heat more effective.Central government departments and partner agencies are implementing these actions over the winter and autumn period to improve our resilience to severe summer and winter weather events.

Boris Johnson

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a Ministerial Direction was issued in regards to the decision to award a contract to Peters and Peters in relation to the opinion published regarding the Committee of Privileges' inquiry into the Rt. hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

Edward Argar: As the Privileges Committee inquiry relates to the conduct of the now former Prime Minister making statements at the despatch box on behalf of the Government as a Minister, the Government is supporting his response to Parliament, as with any Minister, and has instructed legal support. No Ministerial Direction was issued.

Boris Johnson

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the cost in pounds of commissioning the joint opinion from Lord Pannick QC and Jason Pobjoy published on 2 September 2022 regarding the Committee of Privileges' inquiry into the Rt. hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

Edward Argar: The Cabinet Office is committed to setting out the final costs of the total legal support in relation to the Privileges Committee in due course after the conclusion of this matter.

Boris Johnson

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department received advice from the Director for Propriety and Ethics before commissioning the opinion relating to the Committee of Privileges' inquiry into the Rt. hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

Edward Argar: As the Privileges Committee inquiry relates to the conduct of the now former Prime Ministe making statements at the despatch box on behalf of the Government as a Minister, the Government is supporting his response to Parliament, as with any Minister, and has instructed legal support.It has been the practice of successive administrations to preserve a space for the provision of advice from senior officials, which necessarily requires discretion about whether or not that advice has been sought or received in respect of particular matters.

Cabinet Office: Corporate Travel Management

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the list of management information requirements set out in Schedule 13 of his Department's contract with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd., reference CCYZ20A01 NEWMAT PM-R.

Edward Argar: The management information requirements included in the Cabinet Office's contract with Corporate Travel Management are exactly as set out in Schedule 13 of the CCS PSTVS commercial agreement (which is publicly available via the CCS website within document RM6016: Commercial agreement redacted version v1.; page 215).

Boris Johnson

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department received legal advice before commissioning the contract with Peters and Peters for a public opinion regarding the Committee of Privileges' inquiry into the Rt. hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

Edward Argar: Notwithstanding that in the exceptional circumstances the Government determined it was in the public interest for Lord Pannick’s legal opinion to be published, it remains the case that the Government does not comment on legal advice that may or may not have been sought or received. This is in line with the long-standing policy under successive administrations.

Department for International Trade

Food: Exports

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Government's Open Doors campaign to increasing British food and drink exports.

Mr Marcus Fysh: The Open Doors campaign formed a key part of our work to help UK agriculture food and drink businesses seize new export opportunities. The programme of educational masterclass and mentoring programmes engaged over 100 food producers. The campaign highlighted the help available to companies from government and the wider industry network. We continue to support agriculture food and drink exports through Department for International Trade (DIT) services such as the Export Support Service, the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, our International Trade Advisers across England and DIT teams in all parts of the UK.

Trade Agreements: Israel

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the intended contents of the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement include provisions for transport technology.

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the intended contents of the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement include provisions for human surveillance technology.

James Duddridge: On 20 July, negotiations between the UK and Israel for an upgraded, innovation-focused Free Trade Agreement (FTA) were launched. As part of this, our strategic approach to the negotiations was published on GOV.UK. This document sets out the UK’s key objectives in these negotiations.

Trade Agreements: Israel

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether there will be provisions in place within any free trade deal between the UK and Israel on strengthening the rights of Palestinians working in Israel and the Occupied Territories.

James Duddridge: The Government has high regard for worker protections and has made clear that we will not compromise on these in our trade agreements. All our negotiations seek to ensure commitment to international labour protections, including at the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Overseas Trade: Somaliland

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she is taking steps to increase trade between the UK and Somaliland.

Mr Marcus Fysh: The Department for International Trade’s Export Support Service provide specialist overseas support to small-and-medium-sized UK enterprises looking to export and grow in African markets, including Somaliland. The free support service, which is offered to high export potential businesses, entails tailored consultations with in-market specialists and off-the-shelf market intelligence on specific sectors and country markets. Since launching the service in Africa in August 2021, the team have serviced three enquiries from UK businesses needing support in exporting into Somaliland. In addition, through British International Investment, the UK has made a significant investment in the development of Berbera Port.

UK Trade with EU: Telephone Services

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many callers to the Export Support Services Contact Centre took part in customer satisfaction surveys in each month between April 2022 and September 2022; and how many and what proportion of those callers said that they were satisfied with (a) the professionalism of the call handler and (b) the overall service they received.

Mr Marcus Fysh: During Quarter 2 (April to June) 2022, 42% of users responded to the Helpline’s Customer Satisfaction survey. Of these, 88% said they were satisfied with the professionalism of the call handler, and 75% said they were satisfied with the overall service. During Quarter 3 (July to 20 September) 2022, 43% of users responded to the survey. Of these, 92% said they were satisfied with the professionalism of the call handler, and 80% said they were satisfied with the overall service.

UK Trade with EU: Telephone Services

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether payments made under the contract for the provision of the Export Support Services Contact Centre have been made on an (a) available or (b) productive hours basis in the period between 1 April 2022 and 30 September 2022.

Mr Marcus Fysh: Payments made under the contract for the Provision of Export Support Services Contact Centre have been made on an available hour basis for the period 01 April 2022 to 20 September 2022.

UK Trade with EU: Telephone Services

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the average number of full-time agents employed by the Export Support Services Contact Centre was between 1 April 2022 and 30 September 2022; and what the average agent utilisation rate was during core operating hours in each month of that period.

Mr Marcus Fysh: Between 01 April 2022 and 20 September 2022, the average number of agents was 16.3 FTE, and the average agent utilisation was 7%. Any activity not included in the overall target includes breaks, holidays, sickness, training, coaching and other non-customer facing activity.

UK Trade with EU: Telephone Services

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many and what proportion of calls to the Export Support Services Contact Centre resulted in an agent (a) resolving the caller’s query using her Department’s scripts and knowledge bank and (b) raising a complex query form and referring the caller to her Department’s digital enquiry team in each month between April 2022 and September 2022.

Mr Marcus Fysh: In April, 48% (231) of enquiries were resolved using the knowledge bank, 57% (210) in May, 55% (196) in June, 50% (147) in July, 60% (163) in August and 56% (90) in September (to 20 September). In April, 44% (212) of customers were referred to the digital enquiry team, 37% (137) in May, 36% (126) in June, 44% (129) in July, 33% (88) in August and 36% (58) in September (to 20 September).

UK Trade with EU: Telephone Services

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many calls were received by the Export Support Services Contact Centre (a) inside and (b) outside its core operating hours in each month between April 2022 and September 2022; and how many and what proportion of these calls were answered within 30 seconds.

Mr Marcus Fysh: Between 1 April 2022 and 20 September, the Export Support Services (ESS) Helpline received 2,731 calls within core operating hours (827 April, 501 May, 459 June, 392 July, 336 August, 216 September). The service received 89 calls outside core operating hours (21 April, 19 May, 23 June, 9 July,11 August, 6 September). 98% of calls received during core operating hours were answered within 30 seconds.

UK Trade with EU: Telephone Services

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many and what proportion of calls received by the Export Support Services Contact Centre were about (a) imports and exports affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and (b) subsequent restrictions and sanctions imposed on trade with (i) Russia and (ii) Belarus in the period between 1 April 2022 and 30 September 2022.

Mr Marcus Fysh: Between 01 April 2022 and 20 September 2022, there were 1,520 calls relating to imports and exports affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus.

Sanctions: Russia

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department is taking steps to provide financial support to companies whose export trade is affected by the sanctions on Russia.

Mr Marcus Fysh: The Department for International Trade (DIT) has expanded its Export Support Service (ESS) to act as a single point of enquiry for businesses and traders with questions relating to the situation in Ukraine and Russia. Any business that has questions about trading with Ukraine or Russia, can visit https://www.gov.uk/ask-export-support-team, or call our helpline using the number 0300 303 8955. DIT continues to support business and traders financially. The UK Export Finance programmes aim to ensure no viable export fails due to lack of finance. Exporters can also apply for the Internationalisation Fund, with 70% allocated outside of London.

Trade Barriers

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department has taken to reduce barriers to global trade for British businesses.

Conor Burns: Removing barriers boosts British exports globally to new and familiar markets. Teams across the Department – both in the UK and oversees – are working tirelessly to do so, opening up exciting new opportunities for British businesses across our four nations. We have an ambitious programme of FTA negotiations, bilateral Joint Economic Trade Committees (JETCOs), Enhanced Trade Partnerships and multiple technical discussions with partner countries to address the barriers that British business raise with us. And our ambition does not stop when a Free Trade Agreement is signed, our regular ongoing trade dialogues with FTA partners provide us with a forum to market access issues and open these markets still further. Removing our priority trade barriers has the potential to deliver export opportunities to British business worth roughly £20 billion. As a recent example, in July we removed a priority barrier with India through an agreement to recognise each other’s higher education qualifications. This will make UK universities even more appealing to Indian students where the benefits are estimated to be worth over £100,000 per person.

UK Export Finance: Fossil Fuels

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the HMG Policy of March 2021 on aligning UK international support for the clean energy transition, how many times since March 2021 has UK Export Finance provided export support under the exemptions allowed in UKEF's fossil fuel policy and which categories out of the five listed for grouping the exemptions were used.

Mr Marcus Fysh: To date UK Export Finance has not provided support for any transactions under the five exemptions listed in Part A of the guidance on implementing HMG’s policy on aligning international support for the clean energy transition.

Trade Agreements: Australia and New Zealand

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders in the East Midlands, including Bosworth, to help ensure that the region can make use of potential opportunities through the trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand.

Conor Burns: Dedicated officials in the East Midlands regularly discuss the opportunities free trade agreements (FTAs) present with Local Enterprise Partnerships, Business Representative Organisations, and local Chambers of Commerce. We also consult stakeholders through ‘town hall’ style briefings, roundtables, webinars and bilateral & group engagements. For example, we held an update for stakeholders on the UK-Australia FTA in December 2021, and a further update on the UK–New Zealand FTA in February 2022. Throughout negotiations, the department consulted various stakeholder groups and will continue to do so to ensure that citizens and businesses across the East Midlands take advantage of our first two from-scratch FTAs.

Trade Agreements: Australia and New Zealand

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of engagement between her Department and companies in (a) Bosworth and (b) Leicestershire on securing potential opportunities through the trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand.

Conor Burns: We remain committed to listening to a wide range of voices to ensure our trade policy delivers for the whole of the UK, including businesses in the East Midlands. To deliver this we have established an extensive stakeholder engagement framework consisting of various mechanisms to allow business and civil society stakeholders the opportunity to feed into our trade policy. We continually look at our structures and speak to our stakeholders, including businesses in the East Midlands, to ensure our consultation approach remains fit for purpose, informs our negotiating position, and helps to deliver trade deals that benefit the whole country.

Department for International Trade: Freedom of Information

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many officials worked in her Department's information rights unit in each year since 2018.

James Duddridge: The information provided are figures from a specific point in the year and do not demonstrate the natural fluctuation in numbers following staff changes. 31 March 2018 2 officials31 March 2019 5 officials31 March 2020 5 officials31 March 2021 9 officials31 March 2022 8 officials

Department for International Trade: Freedom of Information

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what correspondence her Department has received from the Cabinet Office on the enforcement notice issued by the Information Commissioner on 5 September 2022.

James Duddridge: The department has not received any correspondence from the Cabinet Office regarding the enforcement notice issued.

Department for International Trade: Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many young people aged eighteen or younger have undertaken work experience in her Department in the last 12 months; and what proportion of those young people were (a) girls and (b) boys from state schools.

James Duddridge: Work Experience at the Department for International Trade During the period September 2021-September 2022 the Department for International Trade hosted a total of 11 young people on a work experience placement of up to five days. The numbers and proportion for girls, boys and state schools are in the table below. Breakdown of participant numbers between September 2021 and September 2022GirlsBoysTotalState SchoolsNon-state Schools6 (54.5%)5 (45.5%)11 (100%)6 (54.5)5 (45.5%) Work Experience at UK Export Finance During the period September 2021-September 2022 UK Export Finance hosted one male on a work experience scheme. We do not hold any information relating to their schooling.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Energy

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department spent on energy in each of the last three years.

Julia Lopez: The Department has spent the following on energy in the London building in the last three years.YearGasElectricityTotal energy costsFurther information2020£60,803.01£109,578.71£170,381.72Charges when building was managed by HMRC2021£192,783.08£192,783.08Building started being managed by the GPA2022£54,084£54,082.56Charges as of March 2022Total £417,247.36 We opened our North West Headquarters in November 2021 where energy forms parts of an all-inclusive rental charge and costs incurred are therefore unavailable for this building.

COP26

COP26: Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the President of COP26, how many young people aged eighteen or younger have undertaken work experience in his Department in the last 12 months; and what proportion of those young people were (a) girls and (b) boys from state schools.

Alok Sharma: There have been no people aged eighteen or younger over the past twelve months who have undertaken work experience in the COP26 Unit.

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Chris Law: To ask the President of COP26, if he will make it his policy to support loss and damage finance at COP27, in the context of the damage caused by recent flooding in Pakistan.

Beth Winter: To ask the President of COP26, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a global finance facility for Loss and Damage at the COP27 meeting in November 2022.

Beth Winter: To ask the President of COP26, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Glasgow Dialogue on Loss and Damage on ensuring the establishment of a finance facility for Loss and Damage by the conclusion of the COP27 meeting in November 2022.

Beth Winter: To ask the President of COP26, if he will publish a list of (a) countries, (b) groups of countries and (c) non-governmental organisations he has met with to discuss the the establishment of a finance facility for Loss and Damage since COP26.

Beth Winter: To ask the President of COP26, what assessment he has made of potential impact of the requirement for a global target for financial donations for loss and damage funding by developed nations, separate to the establishment of a global finance facility for loss and damage funding, on helping to secure a successful outcome at the COP27 meeting in November 2022; and if he will make a statement.

Afzal Khan: To ask the President of COP26, what his policy is on loss and damage finance for countries particularly vulnerable to climate change at COP27.

Alok Sharma: At COP26, Parties recognised loss and damage is already impacting lives and livelihoods and agreed to scale-up support. The Glasgow Dialogue was established to discuss the arrangements for the funding of activities to avert, minimise and address loss and damage.In June 2022, at the Bonn Intersessional meeting, the Glasgow Dialogue on loss and damage was launched to discuss the funding arrangements for addressing loss and damage. There will be further dialogues taking place every year to 2024, though these are not formal negotiations.This will continue to be a critical forum to discuss practical ways finance can be scaled up and effectively delivered. I regularly discuss Loss and Damage with international counterparts, including non-governmental organisations and the private sector.The UK is committed to deliver on the Glasgow Climate Pact working with Parties and Civil Society organisations to advance progress through the Glasgow Dialogue and operationalising the Santiago Network.